COWPEAS 493 



the same climatic conditions as corn. It requires, how- 

 ever, somewhat more heat, as corn will develop at least 

 to the " roasting ear " stage in regions too cool for cow- 

 peas. In drought resistance there is but slight difference, 

 but that is in favor of the cowpea. 



The cowpea is not particular as to soil except that it 

 be well drained. It succeeds apparently quite as well on 

 sandy soils as on heavy clays. Both in spring and in fall 

 the leaves are injured by the least touch of frost, and a 

 heavy frost is always fatal. Cowpeas withstand moderate 

 shade, sufficiently so at least to be valuable to grow in 

 orchards. In heavy shade they are usually much subject 

 to mildew. 



601. Importance. The cowpea is the most important 

 legume grown in the area where cotton is cultivated. 

 The only statistics available are those which concern 

 seed-production. There were harvested for seed in the 

 Southern States 209,604 acres in 1909. This is probably 

 only a small fraction of the entire acreage planted. 



602. Uses of the crop. The ancient use of cowpeas 

 was as human food, and this is still the case in all Old 

 World countries where the crop is grown. In the United 

 States, varieties with white or nearly white seeds are 

 mainly grown for this purpose, though seeds of any variety 

 may be eaten. In California, blackeye cowpeas are grown 

 primarily for the seeds, being adapted to drier soils than 

 Lima beans. 



Only in the United States are cowpeas grown mainly 

 for forage and green manure. As forage, it is especially 

 valuable because it will grow in all types of arable soil 

 as a short summer crop, requiring but little attention, 

 as it is able to smother most weeds, and producing most 

 excellent forage either for hay or pasture. Incidentally, 



