•go One Thousand Questions in Agriculture 



erally accounted as an unimportant species and certainly has not 

 risen to commercial account in California. The beans are edible and 

 the whole plant available for stock feeding, but there is no doubt 

 but that the growth of some of the cowpeas would be preferable as 

 a summer field crop for hog pasture. 



Why the Beans are Waiting. 



Can you tell inc zvhy pink beans zuhich zvcrc planted early in Merced 

 county, irrigated four times, hoed four times and cultivated, have no 

 beans' on them? The vines look finely. 



Probably because you had too much hot, dry wind at the bloom- 

 ing. This is one of the most frequent troubles with beans in the 

 hot valley, but the pink bean resists it better than other varieties. 

 As the heat moderates you are likely to get blossoms which will 

 come through and form pods, and then the crop will depend upon 

 how long frost is postponed. You have also treated the plants a 

 little too well with water and cultivation. You had better let them 

 feel the pinch of poverty a little now; they will be more likely to 

 go to work. 



Blackeye Beans. 



What is the best zvay to prepare land for Black-eye beansf How 

 much seed is required per acre, and zvhat is the estimated cost of groiv- 

 ing them? The soil is a zvell-drained clay loam. 



The cost of growing is not particularly different from other 

 beans, and will vary, of course, according to the capacity and ef- 

 ficiency of the plows, harrows, teams, tractors, men, etc. Every 

 man has to figure that according to his conditions and methods of 

 turning and fining the land. Sow 40 pounds per acre in drills 3 feet 

 apart, and cultivate as long as you can without injuring the vines 

 too much. Sowing must of course be done late, after the ground 

 is warm and danger of frost is past, though the plowing and har- 

 rowing should be done earlier than that. 



Blackeye Beans are Cow Peas. 



I sent for some Blackeye cozv peas; they look like Blackeye beans. 

 Am sending you a sample of what I got. What are they? 



Yes, they are in the cow pea group, but there are other cow peas 

 which would not be recognized as having any relation to them. All 

 cow peas are, however, beans, and they have not much use for frost. 

 They are not hardy like the true pea group. 



Growing Horse Beans. 



Does the soil need to be inoculated for horse beans? I intend to 

 plant -five acres about January i, on the valley border in Placer county 

 and they get heavy frost in the morning. Docs frost hurt them? Hozv 

 shall I plant them? 



