44 



AGRICULTURAL VARIETIES OF THE COWPEA, ETC. 



The N. L. Willet Seed Co., of Augusta, Ga., write as follows: 



Three-fourths of our shipments to-day are branded Mixed Clays [a group 

 name including Iron, Unknown, Clay, and others] ; one-fourth of our demand for 

 mixed peas goes to higher latitudes as mixed WhippoorwilL These are the great 

 standard shipments. * * * We get few Clays; we grow large amounts of 

 Unknown, and we can say that straight Unknown constitutes f>0 per cent of the 

 demand and Iron and Whippoorwill 25 per cent each. 



H. G. Hastings & Co., of Atlanta, Ga., respond : 



In our trade, the demand seems to he pretty evenly divided between Unknown, 

 Clay, and mixed. Within the last two or three years there has been quite a 

 demand for the Iron and New Era varieties, but the older sorts are still the 

 best sellers. 



The Crenshaw Brothers Seed Co., of Tampa. Fla., give the follow- 

 ing list in the order of popularity : Whippoorwill, Clay, Red Ripper, 

 Black Crowder, Two Crop, Conch, and California Blackeye. 



NAMES THAT HAVE BEEN APPLIED TO VARIETIES OE COWPEAS 

 AND RELATED SPECIES. 



The list of names which have been applied to different varieties of 

 cowpeas is a very large one. The old names, such as Clay, Black, 

 Red Ripper, Unknown, and Blackeye. have been preserved through 

 tradition by seedsmen. At present from 5 to :20 varieties can be 

 purchased in the United States under each of these names. The} 7 

 therefore may be regarded as group names rather than varietal 

 names. Most of the names more recently used for varieties of cow- 

 peas have been applied without a clue realization of the large number 

 of varieties. In many cases descriptions have been given of the 

 varieties, but even these do not, as a rule, suffice to identify them. 

 Furthermore, different experiment stations have, in some instances 

 at least, experimented with very different varieties under the same 

 name. In a compilation, therefore, of the agronomic data concern- 

 ing varieties of cowpeas, the element of doubt constantly arises as to 

 the identity of the variety experimented with. In a number of 

 cases seed has been obtained from experiment stations so apparently 

 authentic that the identity of the variety is practically certain. In 

 many other cases, however, authentic seed is no longer available, so 

 that a certain degree of doubt must remain regarding the variety 

 under test. 



In view of the great confusion which has already arisen, it is hoped 

 that future experimenters with cowpeas will endeavor to work as far 

 as possible with pedigreed seeds. Following is a list of names and 

 notes concerning pedigreed seed, largely the work of Mrs. Katherine 

 S. Bort. The serial number references relate to the chronological list 

 beginning on page 75. 



229 



