CATALOGUE AND DESCRIPTIONS OF VARIETIES. 139 



29292. Black. From the Amzi Godden Seed Co., Birmingham, Aia., 1908. Half 



bushy, vigorous, viny, usually 1 to 2 feet high ; branches low, spread- 

 ing in the row to form a mass 2 to 4 feet broad ; leaflets large, im- 

 mune to rust, but somewhat affected by red leaf-spot, held late; 

 flowers violet purple ; prolific ; pods well filled, held rather low, 5 to 

 10, usually 7 inches long, straw colored, the first maturing in about 

 70 days; seeds dull black, mostly 6 by 8 mm. ; grown three seasons 

 under temporary No. 0897. This seems to be the ordinary variety sold 

 by American seedsmen. Among others the lots grown are 0896, from 

 T. W. Y/ood & Sons, Richmond, Ya., 1908 ; 0898, from the N. L. Willet 

 Seed Co., Augusta, Ga., 1908 ; 0588, Black Self-Seeding, and 0589, 

 Black Bunch, from the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, 

 1903 ; and 31 lots from miscellaneous American sources grown in 

 1910. Slight differences were observable in these lots, as they varied 

 a tittle in stature and vigor and a few days in time of ripening. The 

 best lot was 01044 from Mr. J. L. Nipper, Magnolia, Ark. The 

 Black is one of the most commonly cultivated varieties, succeeding 

 well under a wide diversity of conditions. For a field variety it is 

 rather too viny and bears its pods too near the ground to harvest 

 satisfactorily with a mower. For growing in corn it is excellent 

 and in some sections the favorite variety for pasturing to hogs, 

 as the seeds do not decay readily. In North Carolina, Arkansas, 

 and southward it is said to volunteer freely. At Arlington Farm 

 it rarely volunteers, being far exceeded in this respect by Iron. 

 Only a few agronomists have recognized the fact that two distinct 

 varieties of cowpeas are cultivated as " Black " — the foregoing 

 variety and the one described as " Congo " or Early Black. Ruffin 1 

 as long ago as 1855 mentioned and described two different black 

 varieties — one early and the other late — not improbably the same 

 two varieties still in common use. 



29293. From the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station in 1909, through 



Prof. C. L. Newman. Probably a cross between Whippoorwill and 

 Lady. Rather low, half bushy, the row mass 14 to 18 inches 

 high, 14 to 2 feet broad; trailing branches few, 1 to 3 feet long; 

 leaflets, medium in size and color, not affected by rust or leaf- 

 spot ; flowers almost white ; prolific ; pods well filled, held medium 

 high, straw colored or sometimes slightly purplish, about 8 inches 

 long, the first maturing in 90 days; seeds oblong or sometimes 

 rhomboid, about 6 by 8 mm. long, white with a large saddle of the 

 New Era color which often extends over the micropylar end, and 

 sometimes with a few scattered spots on the back ; iris nearly 

 black. Grown two seasons under temporary No. 0905. It is very 

 much like 22717. Much more prolific than Lady. 



29294. From Mr. P. L. Sigman, Alexis, N. C, 1909. Suberect, half bushy, 



moderately vigorous, the row mass 14 to 16 inches high, 3 feet 

 broad; trailing branches medium coarse, purple, 1 to 3 feet long; 

 leaflets medium sized, free from rust, considerably affected by red 

 leaf-spot; flowers violet purple; prolific; pods well filled, held 

 medium high, dark purple, 6 to 7 inches long, the first maturing in 

 about 90 days; seeds rhomboid, 6 by 7 mm., white with maroon 

 saddle. A very distinct variety, but of no considerable value. 



1 Ruffin, Edmund. The Southern Pea, Essays and Notes on Agriculture, 1855, pp. 353-355. 

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