258 



THE FORAGE AND FIBER CROPS IN AMERICA 



moldy, and slightly rotten hay; while the late and very late 

 varieties cut at the same stage of maturity rotted before the 

 vines could become hay. The early varieties cut when the first 

 pods were ripening cured into very fair hay, but the late vari- 

 eties rotted and molded. Good hay was obtained from mowing 

 the late variety (Taylor) when the pods were half ripe, but 

 the very late variety (Clay) made only indifferent hay when 



Cowpea huller with hulling cylinder exposed 

 (From photo by Thompson) 



the pods were all ripe. During five years with a large number 

 of varieties, but few have been successfully converted into hay 

 when mown in vigorous growth. On the other hand a number 

 of varieties have been cured in good condition when cut fully 

 ripe, even after having lain in the field through several days 

 of rain and little sun. 1 The South Carolina Station found that 



1 Arkansas Sta. Bui. No. 80 (1903), p. 75. 



