THE USES OF COWPEAS 395 



to dairy cows, sheep, and hogs. It makes an excellent addi- 

 tion to the ration for beef cattle, and is also largely fed to 

 horses in some districts. The hay, particularly if it contains 

 a fair percentage of seed, is very rich in protein, and contains 

 a good supply of the other food constituents. The straw 

 from the production of cowpea seed is less valuable than cow- 

 pea hay, since it contains fewer leaves, practically no seeds, 



Fig. 122. Plowing under cowpeas to add vegetable matter to the soil. Note 

 the pulverizer behind the plow to break up clods and pack the loose earth. 



and the vines are coarser and less palatable. It does con- 

 tain considerable nutriment, however, and when fed with 

 other material, makes good roughage. The seeds of cow- 

 peas are usually too high in price to be fed with profit, but 

 they are an excellent feed for stock of all kinds, including 

 poultry. The cowpea plant makes very good pasture, 

 though better results are usually obtained from other uses. 



