248 ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 



before the combined crop is planted, the corn and cow-peas 

 start together and grow equally well. 



Cultivation. 



If the soil is sufficiently warm when the cow-peas are planted 

 the plants will start quickly and grow rapidly. When planted 

 in rows for seed, the crop may be cultivated in two or three 

 weeks after planting. Unlike corn, the young cow-pea plants 

 are tender and should not be cultivated with the weeder or 

 harrow; at least not until the plants have made some growth 

 and are not so easily broken. If the peas are planted in fur- 

 rows the crop may be harrowed during its early growth with- 

 out injury to the young plants. It sometimes happens that a 

 heavy rainfall soon after the seeding of cow-peas causes the 

 soil to become crusted, making it difficult for the young plants 

 to push their way out. In this condition a harrow may be used 

 to advantage to break the crust without much danger of in- 

 jury to the sprouting plants. 



When cow-peas are sown broadcast they require little or no 

 cultivation after they are out of the ground. If the ground 

 was well cultivated and cleaned of weeds previous to seeding, 

 the young plants with favorable weather grow rapidly and will 

 usually smother any weeds which may start after the planting. 

 When planted in rows the crop should be cultivated in about 

 the same manner as corn. Three cultivations with the culti- 

 vator are usually all that are required. It is perhaps preferable 

 to cultivate the first time with the knife or Acme cultivator, 

 which may be run close to the row without much danger of 

 covering the plants. For the second and third cultivation, the 

 six-shovel cultivator is preferred. For seed production, cow- 

 peas should be cultivated the last time just before blooming. 

 Very little is gained by later cultivation, as it causes greater 

 vining of the plant and thus later maturity. 



