COWPEA 



COWPEA 



261 



of America somewhat later. At various times the 

 cowpea has been known under several botanical 

 names, the most common names being V. Sinensis 

 and V. Catjang. The American varieties of the 

 cowpea, however, are correctly classified as V. 

 unguiculata (y. Sinensis), while the name V. Cat- 

 jang properly applies to another species easily 

 distinguished by its much smaller and more torose 

 pods, and by its smaller seeds. By some, however, 



V. unguiculata is considered to be a synonym of 



V. Catjang. 



Geographical distribution. 



Varieties of cowpeas have become widely dis- 

 tributed throughout the world, but only in China, 

 India and the southern part of the United States 

 has this plant been an important factor in agri- 

 culture. Although cultivated in the United States 

 for about a century, not until recent years has its 

 cultivation received much attention north of the 

 Ohio and Potomac rivers, and north or west of Ar- 

 kansas and Texas. Within the past ten years, stim- 



ulated by tests made at the various agricultural 

 experiment stations, the cultivation of the plant 

 has been carried northward, and it now promises 

 to fill an important place throughout the greater 

 part of the humid United States. The northern 

 limit of cultivation has never been traced in detail, 

 but in a general way this area may be regarded as 

 including the states of Massachusetts, New Jersey, 

 Pennsylvania, much of New York, Ohio, Indiana 

 and Illinois, all of Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma and 

 Texas, and of course the region south and east of 

 these states. 



Westward of this line it may serve a useful pur- 

 pose, but can scarcely compete with alfalfa or red 

 clover where these plants are generally successful. 



Composition. 



The seed of the cowpea is rather uniform in 

 composition and is very rich in nitrogen, but not 

 so rich in this element as is soybean seed. The 

 forage varies considerably in composition because 

 of the variation in the quantities of pods and leaves. 



Analyses op Parts op the Cowpea Plant. 



jMoisture 



Ash 



Protein 



Fiber 



Nitrogen- 

 free extract 



Ether 

 extract 



Hay* 



Green forage * 



SilageJ 



Seed, shelled* 



Hullst 



Leaves** 



Leaves t 



Fine stems and leaf stems ** . , 



Coarse stems** , 



Stemst < 



Fallen leaves and leaf stems** 

 Roots and stubble ** 



Per cent 



10.70 



83.60 



79.30 



14.80 



10.46 



10.65 



11.05 



8.97 



8.47 



10.00 



9.75 



5.25 



Per cent 



7.50 



1.70 



2.90 



3.20 



2.81 



10.98 



11.24 



6.87 



4.92 



6.20 



20.78 



24.75 



Per cent 



16.60 



2.40 



2.70 



20.80 



6.36 



22.44 



18.84 



11.88 



9.44 



5.87 



10.44 



8.63 



Per cent 



20.10 



4.80 



6.00 



4.10 



41.43 



16.78 



19.74 



43.59 



42.19 



38.84 



20.45 



56.25 



Per cent 



42.20 



7.10 



7.60 



55.70 



38.49 



31.69 



32.48 



30.74 



33.12 



38.20 



31.96 



3.82 



Per cent 

 2.90 

 0.40 

 1.50 

 1.40 

 0.45 

 7.46 

 6.71 

 1.75 

 1.86 

 0.89 

 6.62 

 1.48 



♦Handbook of Experiment Station Work. 

 **AJabaina Station Bulletin, No. 118. 



t Louisiana Station Bulletin, No. 40; average for 12 varieties, 

 t Henry's "Feeds and Feeding." 



Pbetilizing Constituents in the Parts op the Cowpea Plant. 



Moisture 



Nitrogen Phosphoric acid 



Potash 



Entire plant (6) 



Hay, blooming stage (a) 



Hay, ripening stage (o) 



Leaves (a) 



Leaves (b) 



Fine stems and leaf stems (a) 



Leaf stems (b) 



Coarse stems (a) 



Stems (6) 



Fallen leaves and leaf stems (a) 



Ripening stage, fallen leaves and stems (a) . . 

 Blooming stage, fallen leaves and leaf stems (a) 



Fallen leaves (c) 



Roots and stubble (a) 



Roots and stubble, blooming stage (a) . . . . 



Roots and stubble, ripening stage (a) 



Roots (i) 



Roots (c) 



Dried tubercles 



Per cent 



10.95 



8.15 



9.05 



10.65 



11.05 



8.97 



9.64 



8.47 



10.00 



9.75 



7.80 



6.80 



10.51 



5.25 



7.00 



7.77 



10.12 



Per cent 

 1.95 

 2.57 

 2.46 

 3.59 

 3.01 

 1.90 

 0.98 

 1.51 

 1.09 

 1.67 

 1.83 

 1.36 

 1.92 

 1.38 

 1.05 

 1.17 

 1.32 

 1.09 

 5.02 



Per cent 

 0.52 

 0.81 

 0.85 

 0.78 

 0.22 

 0.64 

 0.50 

 0.42 

 0.34 

 0.37 

 0.64 

 0.59 

 0.30 

 0.26 

 0.41 

 0.48 

 0.42 

 0.33 



Per cent 

 1.47 

 2.86 

 2.14 

 1.49 

 1.12 

 0.68 

 1.33 

 1.49 

 2.25 

 1.09 

 1.45 

 L15 

 0.80 

 1.11 

 2.11 

 1.51 

 1.51 

 2.19 



(o) Alabama Station Bulletin, No. 120; average 6 varieties. (6) Louisiana Station Bulletin, No, 40; average 12 varieties. 



(c) Louisiana Bulletin, No. 55; 1 variety. 



