154 ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION 



year. These, however, were large cows capable of handling a 

 large amount of roughage. 



Cowpea. — This crop grows well in the southern part of the 

 state and can also be grown in the northern part, tho. it requires 

 a fairly long season to mature. It is here discussed as a hay crop, 

 and not as a grain crop. Like clover and alfalfa it requires 

 some care in curing. It should be cut, wilted, and placed in 

 small cocks where it should remain until dry. These cocks 

 turn water well and tho the outside turns dark the inside of the 

 cock will remain green. A variety should be used which pro- 

 duces a large amount of vine rather than many peas. The 

 proper time to cut it is when the first pods begin to ripen. It is 

 more easily cured for hay than the soybean, because it produces 

 less fleshy pods and does not drop its leaves so easily. The stems 

 are much less woody than those of the soybean. Cowpea hay 

 is eaten readily by cattle, tho not quite so palatable as alfalfa, 

 and is almost as good ton for ton as that made from alfalfa, since 

 it contains only about one per cent less protein. The yields per 

 acre are not so large as alfalfa, but usually equal to the clovers. 

 Probably the greatest draw-back is the cost of and difficulty of 

 procuring the seed. If in the early spring it is evident that the 

 clover crop has frozen out or is a failure, the land can be sown 

 to cowpeas. It can be grown on land which is not well 

 adapted to clover or alfalfa. 



Cowpea straw. — Cowpea straw consists of the stems and 

 leaves after the peas have been removed. It is fed by many 

 farmers and makes a very good roughage, tho not as valuable 

 as the hay. In order to get the pea properly ripened, the stalks 

 become too ripe for the best hay, many of the leaves are lo?t 

 and the stems become more woody. It is much lower in protein 

 than the hay, probably standing near clover hay in this resp. 

 and it is also less palatable. 



The cowpea should be sowed at the rate of one and one-half 

 bushels per acre in the spring as soon as the ground is warm or 

 soon after corn is planted. It will perhaps stand up better and 

 cure a little more readily if a little millet is sowed with it. This, 



