DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE. 325 



yields a fruit from which ink is made, and still another yields a dye. The ancients 

 used the word viburna to signify a pliant, branched plant that could be used in 

 tying. Y. canadensis is noted in Manual Hoepli. "Has very flexible and tenacious 

 branches, which are utilized, either split or entire, as bands for binding bales and 

 large packages." This name is unknown to botanists; probably V. cassinoides, withe- 

 rod, is meant. 



Vigna catjang. The Cowpba. 



Syn. Dolichos sinensis. 



Exogen. Leguminosa',. Annual forage plant. 



COMMON names. — Southern cowpea, field pea, stock pea, cherry bean, Chinese 

 vetch. 



Of unknown origin. Cultivated in the United States and in Oriental and other 

 warm countries. Economic value, as a forage plant, as an article of human food, 

 and as a fertilizer when the crop is plowed under. 



There are many named forms or cultural varieties, all of which, however, are con- 

 sidered by botanists to be derived from one species. It so readily adapts itself to 

 different soils and changes its characters so readily under cultivation, that there has 

 been much difficulty in determining the limits of the various named forms. The 

 cowpeas are of three general classes, according to their habit of growth, consisting of 

 " bunch V varieties, which grow erect and compact; "runners," which start off erect 

 and then throw out running branches; and "trailers," which grow flat upon the 

 ground with long stems sometimes 15 to 20 feet in length. There is also much varia- 

 tion in size, shape, and color markings of the seeds, and in the manner in which 

 the seeds are borne in the pod, the seeds of some being closely crowded together, 

 called "crowders," and others with the seeds wide apart and the pods constricted 

 between each seed, called "kidney" peas. The bunch varieties are the ones which are 

 best adapted to growing for hay or ensilage, while the runners and trailers are val- 

 uable for soiling purposes or for turning under as green manure. The length of 

 season required for maturity also varies greatly, the bunch varieties, as a rule, 

 requiring only a short season. (F. Lamson-Scribner.) 



Bast fiber. — A field sample of the fiber of this plant has recently been received 

 from Dr. W. J. Mason, of Activity, Ala. Weather retted, by exposure to the ele- 

 ments, its characters can not be defined. In the matter of strength, however, it is 

 interesting to note that a cord about half the size of binding twine showed a 

 breakage strain of 38 pounds, Kentucky hemp binding twine averaging about 100 

 pounds. 



Dr. Mason writes as follows: "As you are aware, the pea is to the South what 

 clover is to other sections in restoring fertility to the soil; then it is one of the finest 

 food and forage crops for both man and beast. Now, if the fiber could be manu- 

 factured into twine and baling stuffs, I do not see why it would not open anew field 

 for manufactures and add a new source of profit to the Southern farmers. The 

 sample forwarded has lain in the open fields all the winter, and you will notice that 

 it is stainless and possessed of great strength." While the fiber is strong and good 

 it would be difficult to extract it commercially at paying cost, in competition with 

 such a fiber as hemp, which is produced in straight, slender, rigid stalks, which can 

 be handled with ease in the harvesting, curing, and breaking, to clean the fiber. 

 No doubt the fiber could be used for some purpose if it could be secured at econom- 

 ical cost. 



Villebrunea integrifolia. 



Exogen. Urticacew. A small tree. 



Abounds in many parts of India and Ceylon, together with an allied species, 

 F. frutescens. 



Bast Fiber. — "One of the strongest of India fibers" (Spon) The fiber in Sikkim 

 and Assam has been made into ropes, nets, and cloth. The Ban-rhea of the Assamese. 



