LEGUMES FOR SEED 253 



been suggested. Volunteer crab grass (Panicum sangninaleL.') 

 often serves a useful purpose, but the irregularity of the stand 

 and the size of plants are an objection. Millet can be sown 

 with early maturing varieties, using one peck of millet seed 

 to one bushel or less of cowpeas. At the Alabama Station 

 drilling Amber sorghum and Wonderful peas together, on May 

 14 increased the yield of hay materially, but did not decrease 

 the difficulty of curing. 1 



314. Methods of Seeding. There are many methods of 

 sowing cowpeas. When grown in maize, the seed may be sown 

 broadcast just before the last cultivation, which operation covers 

 it; or immediately after the last or next to the last cultivation, 

 a single row of cowpeas may be drilled with the one-horse cot- 

 ton or maize drill. Sometimes a furrow is opened with a shovel 

 plow, the seed sown by hand, and then covered by cultivating 

 each side and throwing the earth over the seed. 



The Arkansas Station compared drilling with planter with 

 broadcasting, using 30 pounds of seed per acre in each case, 

 and obtained 11.4 bushels of peas and 1,498 pounds of hay by 

 drilling, and 6.1 bushels of peas, and 1,264 pounds of hay by 

 broadcasting. 2 When sown alone, for example after a crop of 

 oats, the seed is sometimes sown broadcast before plowing, 

 using 60 to 90 pounds of seed per acre. A better method is 

 to plow first, and, if sown broadcast, to cover with the disk 

 harrow, since moderately deep covering is desirable. If for 

 hay, and if a grain drill is available, close every other outlet 

 so that the rows will be 14 or 16 inches apart, using 20 to 40 

 pounds of seed per acre; if for seed, close enough outlets to 

 make the rows 32 to 40 inches apart, using 10 to 20 pounds of 

 seed per acre. The one-horse maize planter is also widely used, 

 making rows preferably 36 inches apart. (C. A. 305) 



315. Cultivation. In practise cowpeas get very little culttva- 



1 Alabama Sta. Bui. No. 118 (1902), p. 29. 

 -Arkansas Sta. Bui. No. 70 (1901), p. 104. 



