146 SUCCESSFUL FARMING 



cultivate the same as for corn. Good results, however, have been secured 

 by seeding with the ordinary grain drill, which, of course, permits of no 

 cultivation. When seed is costly, the saving of seed by drilling in rows 

 thirty inches or more apart may offset the labor of cultivation. When 

 grown chiefly for hay, broadcasting or drilling in rows close together is best. 



The rate of seeding varies from one to eight pecks per acre, depending 

 on the manner of seeding, the character of seed and the purpose for which 

 grown. When seeded with the wheat drill, with all of the holes open, one 

 bushel of seed per acre will give good results for hay and still provide for 

 fair yields of seed. Small seed requires less in planting than large, and less 

 seed is required for seed production than when grown for forage. 



The depth of seeding will depend on the character and condition of the 

 soil. It may vary from one to four inches. The looser the soil or the drier 

 the seed-bed, the deeper should be the planting. The cowpea is really a 

 bean and, like all beans, should not be planted too deeply. 



Cowpea seed usually costs from $2 to $3 per bushel. 



Seeding with Other Crops. There are two principal advantages in 

 seeding cowpeas with other crops, namely, the production of a better 

 balanced ration when used as forage, and the increased facility with which 

 the crop may be harvested and cured when supported by upright growing 

 plants. 



The best crops to seed with cowpeas are corn, sorghum and millet. 

 These are all similar to the cowpea in soil and climatic requirements. It 

 is never wise to seed cowpeas with oats, as the one requires warm weather 

 and the other cool weather for best results. 



The upright growing varieties of cowpeas may be grown with corn, 

 preferably by planting both corn and peas in rows at the same time. By 

 selecting the proper variety with reference to habit of growth and time of 

 maturity, the cowpeas may be harvested at the same time with a corn 

 harvester and used for making ensilage. 



In the southern portion of the corn belt and in the cotton belt cowpeas 

 are frequently drilled between the corn rows after the last cultivation. The 

 pods are gathered for the peas and the vines turned under for the benefit 

 of the soil. When planted with corn, the cowpeas should be four or five 

 inches apart in the row and the corn about twelve inches apart. Best 

 results are secured by using a cowpea attachment to the corn planter. 



When grown for hay, seeding with sorghum or millet gives best results. 

 Sorghum is generally preferable to millet, because it has a somewhat 

 longer growing season and makes a more palatable hay. Best results are 

 secured by mixing the seed at the rate of two bushels of peas to one bushel 

 of sorghum and seeding with a wheat drill at the rate of one and one-half 

 bushels per acre. The large varieties of millet may be used with the early 

 maturing varieties of cowpeas. 



Fertilizers, Tillage and Rotation. Cowpeas respond to moderate 

 applications of phosphorus and potash, but do not need nitrogen. 



