' Thirty-fourth Annual Convention. 275 



the shelled peas; (3) the value of the pea vines; (4) the in- 

 creased capacity of the soil for future crop production, any one 

 of which exceeds the gross cost of planting, growing and har- 

 vesting the cowpeas. 



Cowpeas as a Catch Crop After Wheat. 



Experiments reported in Arkansas Experiment Station Bul- 

 letin No. 62, pp. 25 and 27, illustrate the beneficial effects upon 

 wheat, but do not take into consideration the value of the cow- 

 peas or cowpea hay. These omissions from the plan of the work 

 leading to the results published in Bulletin No. 62, suggested the 

 carrying out of similar tests in which the value of the cowpeas 

 and the cowpea hay should be taken into account, as well as the 

 increase in the yield of wheat. 



The soil upon which this test was conducted produced a 

 crop of rye and vetch in 1900. The rye and vetch were mown 

 for hay and cowpeas sown broadcast. The cowpeas were cut for 

 hay one week before the wheat was sown. As soon as the wheat 

 was harvested the following June (1901) four varieties of cow- 

 peas were drilled upoa seven plots. One plot was left bare, but 

 cultivated three times in July and August when the cowpeas were 

 cultivated. When the crop of peas was harvested the eight plots 

 were again sown to wheat. The yields and value of the two 

 crops of wheat (1901 and 1902), the yields and value of the in- 

 tervening crop of cowpeas and the total value of the crops 

 occupying the soil from October, 1900 (when the first crop of 

 wheat was sown), to June, 1902, when the second crop of wheat 

 was harvested, are recorded as follows : 



1901 1902 



o 



c3 . 



0) o 



^§ 



2 CD 



(P. ft 



la 



leld Shelled 

 Peas per 

 acre 





03 O 



alue Cow 

 Pea Hay 

 per acre. 



otal Value 

 rops in 

 1901. 



QJ ft 



IS 



> O 



d 



^ 



!> 



>H 



^ K 



> o 



> 



H o 



>H 



> 



% o 



1 ... 



.. 14.7 



$11.76 



.... 



1,764 







$ 8.82 



$20.58 



15.8 



$12.64 $32.22 



2 ... 



... 13.4 



10.72 



6.5 



1,341 



6.50 



6.70 



23.92 



14.1 



11.28 



35.20 



3 ... 



. . ; 13.7 



12.08 



10.1 



1,630 



10.10 



8.15 



31.05 



16.2 



12.96 



44.01 



4 . .. 



. . . 14.4 



11.51 



8.6 



1,904 



8.60 



9.52 



29.64 



15.9 



12.72 



39.26 



5 ... 



... 16.3 



13.04 





2,324 



.... 



11.62 



24.66 



16.3 



13.04 



37.70 



6 ... 



... 14.4 



11.52 



11.2 



2,004 



11.20 



10.02 



32.74 



16.5 



13.20 



45.94 



7 ... 



.. 15.2 



12.16 







2,640 





13.20 



25.36 



17.4 



13.92 



39.28 



8 .... 



... 14.8 



11.84 



No Cowpeas 







11.84 



13.6 



10.88 



22.72 



