262 Illinois State Dairymen's Association. 



These fertilizer tests very clearly indicate that applications 

 of nitrogen do not benefit the cowpeas on the Station soil. 

 The three unfertilized plots produced .63 of a bushel more of 

 peas than the nitrate of soda plot (No. 4), and the nitrate of 

 soda only added 245 pounds of hay to the yield as compared with 

 no manure. Wherever phosphoric acid or potash were used, 

 whether in combination or alone, there was quite a substantial 

 increase in both pea and hay. Phosphoric acid (Plot 3) in- 

 creased the yield of peas and hay 26.2 and 21.0 per cent over 

 nitrate of soda (Plot 4).; and muriate of potash (Plot 2) gave 

 21.2 per cent increase in peas, but only 3.1 per cent increase in 

 hay over nitrate of soda (Plot 4). Phosphoric acid and muriate 

 of potash combined gave 40.5 per cent increase in peas and 45.8 

 per cent increase in hay over nitrate of soda. Muriate of potash 

 and phosphoric acid combined gave a few more peas and a few 

 less vines than where nitrate of soda was added to these two 

 fertiHzers. 



For two or three weeks after the peas had germinated the 

 plots to which nitrate of soda had been applied appeared to have 

 a deeper color, and to be in more vigorous growth, than any of 

 the plots not receiving nitrate of soda. After the third week 

 it was evident that the plots with mineral fertilizers were in more 

 vigorous growth, and the difference in their favor was marked 

 throughout the remainder of the season. The young pea plants 

 utilized the nitrogen of the readily soluble nitrate of soda before 

 the development of the nitro-gathering tubercles, and, their 

 early growth was thus stimulated, but not to an extent to show 

 in the final yield except in a very slight increase in vines, which 

 was not sufficient to compensate for the cost of the nitrate of 

 soda applied. If cowpeas are to be used for the purpose of 

 restoring impoverished lands the application of phosphoric acid 

 and potash would usually result in profitable returns from the 

 cowpeas and always to the crop following the cowpeas. The 

 application of phosphoric acid and potash to a crop of cowpeas 

 grown for fertilizing a truck crop that is to follow cowpeas will 

 probably give better returns than when the application of the 

 mineral fertilizers is made directly to the crop it is intended for. 



The Fertilizing Value of Cowpeas. 



In the South cowpeas are grown for four purposes : Grain, 

 hay, pasture and fertilizer. Usually the first three are primary 



