LEGUMINOUS CROPS 75 
expose the beans to the direct rays of the sun after the soil 
is added. Sunlight will kill the bacteria in the soil. 
COWPEAS 
Cowpeas and vetches are the main leguminous crops for 
poor soils. Cowpeas have the power to extract plant food 
from land that is too poor for the profitable growing of such 
crops as clover, alfalfa or even soy beans. They will grow 
without inoculation on new land which is something that 
most legumes will not do. The bacteria of this legume seem 
to be present in nearly all soils. While cowpeas will grow 
on most soils they are better adapted to sandy types than to 
heavier black soils. In other words, the cowpea will do for 
light sandy soils what the soy bean does for heavier soils. 
For this reason we have grown soy beans in preference to 
cowpeas on our own lands, which are a black retentive loam. 
The western part of Mason County is quite sandy. On this 
soil cowpeas grow to perfection and find a place in the crop 
rotation of all the well regulated farms. 
Cowpeas are largely grown in the Cotton States of the 
South. It is safe to say that no one plant can add more to 
the agricultural wealth of the South than the more exten- 
sive growing of cowpeas. A common practice in the South 
is to grow cowpeas between the rows of corn, thereby enrich- 
ing the land and doubling the value of the stalk fields for 
pasture. 
Culture: The seed bed for cowpeas should be prepared 
in the same manner as for soy beans. While the seed and 
young plant is more hardy than those of soy beans, good 
preparation will pay big returns. Cowpeas should be sown 
late in the North, after all danger of frost is over. It is 
best to double dise well just before sowing in order to kill 
all weeds. 
