256 



Illinois State Dairymen s Association. 



1899 



1900 



1901 



1902 



3.34 



1.35 



1.05 



1.01 



1.13 



2.75 



1.16 



1.81 



1.21 



1.04 



3.88 



5.10 



2.77 



3.39 



4.32 



3.70 



7.56 



4.26 



1.26 



4.33 



3.59 



3.94 



1.89 



6.52 



7.40 



2.22 



1.50 



0.37 



1.97 



4.14 



3.95 



5.19 



0.78 



4.98 



0.50 



4.29 



6.57 



4.64 



2.64 



4.84 



36.32 



32.67 



22.15 



37.16 



1899 



1900 



1901 



1902 



3,054 



2,781 



3,873 



3,042 



13.7 



21.8 



28.4 



13.4 



Month. 1898 



January 4.62 



February 0.73 



March 15.07 



April 3.93 



May 10.42 



June 5.69 



July 7.10 



August 4.80 



September 4.53 



October 5.34 



Total 62.23 



1898 



Hay per acre in pounds 3,268 



Peas per acre in bushels 12.3 



An inspection of the above table will show that the yield of 

 peas was greatest in 1900 and 1901, the two years with the least 

 rain, and that in 1898, 1899 and 1902, the years of greatest rain- 

 fall gave the lowest yields, and very near one-half that of 1900 

 and 1901. Several correspondents have reported the same ob- 

 servation. The table containing the yields of peas and hay 

 embraces the average yields of ten varieties that have been grown 

 for the five years named, and the results are construed as con- 

 clusive evidence of the value of the cowpea as a drouth resistant 

 crop. The highest average yield of hay was also recorded on the 

 year of least rainfall. The yield of hay is, however, less affected 

 by rainfall than the yield of peas. It is probable that this falling 

 ofT in the yield of peas is duue to a large extent to mildew, a dis- 

 ease to which the cowpea is to a high degree susceptible in damp 

 weather. In 1901, when the rainfall was most deficient, there 

 was but slight damage done by this disease. In 1902, when the 

 rains of August, September and October were accompanied by 

 an unusual amount of cloudy weather, mildew was prevalent to 

 a great extent, and many of the pea blossoms fell off before they 

 opened. With some varieties it was estimated that fully nine- 

 tenths of the blossoms failed to set pods, while some pods that 

 formed were destroyed by mildew before they reached maturity. 



Preparation of Soil and Planting. 



It is usually the custom in many sections of the South to give 

 very sorry preparation to soil intended for cowpeas. The writer's 

 experience seems to lead to the conclusion that the cowpea will 

 respond as profitably to good preparation as will corn, cotton or 

 potatoes, and cultivation has been profitable in proportion to its 



