THIRTY-FIFTH ANNUAL CONVENTION. 251 



carries them to one side, leaving them directly behind and out 

 of the way of the mower on the next round. If a rolling-colter 

 is used on the end of the cutter-bar to cut off the vines that 

 entwine with the vines of the uncut row, this attachment may 

 give satisfactory results, although the attachment is heavy and 

 is hard upon the mowing-machine upon which it is used. The 

 self-rake reaper has been used in harvesting peas for seed, and 

 is quite satisfactory. 



There are several types of bean-harvesters manufactured 

 which are sometimes used in harvesting cow-peas. The most 

 successful of these harvesters are constructed so that two long 

 knives run under the vines cutting off the stems of the peas 

 beneath the surface of the ground. These machines will har- 

 vest two rows of peas at a time and leave the vines thrown 

 together in one windrow. With this harvester it is necessary 

 to have rolling-colters placed outside the knives to cut off the 

 vines to prevent them dragging and clogging the machine. 

 This machine has proven very satisfactory for harvesting soy- 

 beans, but the cow-peas clog some, and the horses walking 

 ahead of the machine, although walking between the rows, 

 trample some of the vines and shell the peas. When cut with 

 the bean-harvester the peas are thrown into a fair-sized wind- 

 row, where they may be allowed to partially cure. One day in 

 the windrow is usually sufficient. The peas should then be 

 placed in shocks and allowed to thoroughly cure. Three or 

 four days of good drying weather will usually cure them suffi- 

 ciently in the shock so that they can be mowed or stacked. 

 Since cow-pea hay takes water very easily, the stacks should 

 be provided with some form of covering. The usual covering, 

 and one that is very satisfactory, is wild grass or prairie hay. 



Thrashing Cow-Peas. 



When a few acres of cow-peas are grown for seed the most 

 satisfactory method of thrashing is with the flail. This method 

 is slow, yet one man can flail out about an acre of peas in a clay, 

 and the work may be done when other work on the farm is 



