498 FORAGE PLANTS AND THEIR CULTURE 



Black. Seedsmen sell all black-seeded cowpeas under 

 this name, but there are several varieties. The most 

 common are Early Black or Congo, maturing its first 

 pods in about 70 days, and ordinary Black, requiring 

 about 80 days. Both are decidedly viny, and somewhat 

 sprawling. Black is nevertheless popular in some sec- 

 tions because the seeds do not decay readily after ripen- 

 ing, even if they lie on moist earth. 



Red Ripper. Commercially all cowpeas with maroon 

 seeds are called Red Ripper, but there are at least eight 

 varieties with maroon seeds more or less widely grown. In 

 a general way, the maroon-seeded varieties closely resemble 

 those with buff seeds, and none possesses outstanding 

 merit. 



Early Buff. This is a new variety, the progeny of a 

 single seed obtained from Leghorn, Italy, in 1907. It is 

 a very prolific, half -bushy variety, maturing about two 

 weeks earlier than New Era. The first pods ripen in about 

 65 days. It is the earliest variety of over 300 tested at 

 Arlington Farm, Virginia, and should prove valuable at 

 the northern limit of cowpea culture. 



Blackeye. Varieties of cowpeas having the seed white 

 with a black spot at the hilum are mostly known as 

 Blackeye, but among American varieties several possess 

 such colored seeds. None of them has a bushy habit 

 such as is desirable for forage, but blackeyed varieties 

 are grown almost wholly for human food. It is probable 

 that the total acreage of blackeyed varieties is exceeded 

 by no other sort except Whippoorwill. 



608. Rate and method of seeding. Cowpeas, when 

 planted alone, are sown broadcast, drilled, or in broad 

 rows to be cultivated. When broadcasted, one or two 

 bushels to an acre are planted ; if drilled, five pecks 



