GRASS AND HAY 201 



the yielH with later varieties. As long exposure to sunshine causes 

 the leaflets to drop off, curing should be accomplished with the small- 

 est proportion of the mown crop exposed to direct sunshine. Curing 

 is mainly influenced by the weather and the succulence of the vines, 

 and hence the time required for the process varies with these factors. 

 Based on the experience in curing cowpea hay for several seasons, the 

 'station suggests the following general course of procedure : "Cutting 

 one day and twenty-four hours later raking into windrows, where 

 the hay may remain twenty-four hours; then cocking and, if prac- 

 ticable, leaving these cocks in the field for two or three days, at the 

 end of which time they may be opened for a few hours before haul- 

 ing, or hauled without opening, according to the condition of the 

 hay." The use of canvas covers for the haycocks during wet weather 

 was found to be very satisfactory and is believed to pay for itself 

 in the end. An experiment in storing half-cured cowpea hay in a 

 tightly packed condition proved unsuccessful. From ^several hun- 

 dred plats under field conditions the Arkansas Station obtained 

 during five years an average of 3,169.4 pounds of hay per acre. In 

 general, the results did not include the weight of either peas or hulls. 

 In one of the seasons the highest average yield of hay per acre, 

 8,750 pounds, was obtained from the Clay cowpea, and the lowest, 

 750 pounds, from New Era and Extra Early Black Eye, the yield of 

 shelled peas from the three varieties being 174, 1,337.5, and 1,025 

 pounds per acre, respectively. A plat of Wonderful cowpea yielded 

 8,350 pounds of hay per acre, and' two plats of Clay 8,250 and 7,450 

 pounds, with practically no pea production. These great varietal 

 variations in the capacity of producing either hay or peas very 

 forcibly calls attention to the advantage of selecting varieties suitable 

 to the purpose for which the crop is grown. The results in curing 

 the crops on these plats ranged from perfect success to complete 

 failure. Young or vigorously growing vines were difficult to cure 

 even under favorable weather conditions, while mature vines cured 

 with little difficulty in favorable weather and usually made good 

 hay after an exposure of two to four days of rain and cloudiness. 

 The varieties producing few or no peas were most difficult to cure on 

 account of their continued growth and succulent condition until 

 checked by frost. Varieties producing the heaviest yields of peas 

 were most easily cured into hay. Late shallow cultivation prolonged 

 the period of growth, and in order to minimize the difficulties in cur- 

 ing it is suggested that if the crop is intended for hay no further 

 cultivation be given after the first pods are formed. Vines bearing 

 a fair or full crop of peas well ripening together were easily cured 

 when about one-fourth of the peas were ripe and no second growth 

 took place, while if the peas ripened through a prolonged period the 

 plants continued in vigorous growth and were difficult to cure unless 

 the weather was most favorable. Vines having ceased to grow and 

 matured enough for hay may be sufficiently cured for storing in 

 thirty-six or forty-eight hours of favorable weather conditions, and 

 if well cocked after lying a day will endure several days of rainy 

 weather with but slight damage and cure into good hay. On the 



