VARIABILITY OF THE COWPEA. 



17 



In a few instances it has been noted that varieties of cowpeas 

 which matured together in one season showed differences in another 

 season; thus, Blackeyes Nos. 17335, 17329, and 22050 all matured 

 together in 1909. In 1910, No. 17335 was ten days later than No. 

 22050 and five days later than No. 17329. Such differences have not. 

 therefore, been considered of varietal value unless accompanied by 

 other characters. In the case of these three black-eyed varieties the 

 difference in time of maturing seems quite clearly a fluctuating 

 variation, but it is by no means certain that all or most such differ- 

 ences are of this character. 



With buff-seeded cowpeas the case is far more complicated. Lots 

 of buff-seeded kidney cowpeas obtained from 142 different sources in 

 the States of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, 

 Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Indiana, and 

 Kansas were planted in 1910 and compared with about 20 lots pre- 

 viously obtained. After eliminating several lots identifiable with 

 Iron and two lots that proved to be Cotton Patch, the remainder 

 showed great similarity in habit but varied greatly in their life 

 periods and correlated size. They could be fairly well classified into 

 four groups as regards their time of maturity — early, medium, me- 

 dium late, and late — requiring respectively about 70, 80, 90, and 115 

 days to mature their first pods. The early lots are apparently 

 identifiable with what has been commonly known as Warren's Hy- 

 brid or Warren's Extra Early; the medium and medium late make 

 up most of what is currently known as Clay ; while the late is what is 

 known for the most part as Unknown or Wonderful. It must be ad- 

 mitted that each of these groups shows much more variability in life 

 period than Whippoorwill, for example. Indeed, almost every pe- 

 riod of maturity was represented in the series, from the earliest to 

 the latest. A number of lots in each group might properly be con- 

 sidered distinct varieties except for the fact that, under Arlington 

 conditions at least, the difference amounted principally if not wholly 

 to a few days more or less in time of maturing. It would require 

 several years' testing to determine whether these differences in life 

 period are permanent or only transitory. 



Most American cowpeas with maroon kidney-shaped seeds go as 

 Red Ripper. About forty different lots with such seeds were tested 

 in 1910. These clearly represent at least eight distinct varieties by 

 habit and seed characters. If slight differences in life period are 

 considered, twice as many varieties could be distinguished. Great 

 discrepancies in published data concerning the Red Ripper are, there- 

 fore, to be expected, and unquestionably several different varieties 

 have been used by different experimenters under this name. 

 2968°— Bui. 229—12 2 



