6 
COW PEAS. 
The Cow Pea, grown extensively throughout the Southern 
States for many years, and there called the ^' King of Land 
Renovators," is too well known to require an extended de- 
scription ; but some facts regarding Cow Peas have been 
demonstrated by means of recent experiments, by which its 
value has been enhanced, and which makes the selection of 
varieties of such importance that particular attention should 
be directed to it. 
Cow Peas have been chiefly grown in the South to reclaim 
or renovate soils too poor to grow clover and for seed pro- 
duction. Scientific experiments and practical tests have, 
however, demonstrated that the food value of the Cow Pea, 
either for ensilage or hay, is equal to, if not exceeds, clover, 
and by putting it to this use its manurial value is not impaired 
when fed to stock and the manure returned to the soil. This 
being the case, only the erect-growing varieties should be 
sown, as it is almost impossible to harvest the recumbent 
varieties without great loss of vine, that is valuable for food. 
Of the more than forty varieties now grown, those herewith 
described have proven to be the most valuable and the best 
for all purposes. 
Cow Peas are a summer crop. Should be sown from ist to 
i2th of June. When sown in drills 3 feet apart, i bushel will 
seed 2 acres. Sown broadcast (which will be found the best 
way to sow them), from i to 1}^ bushels is required to 
seed an acre properly. The best wa.y to sow them is to use 
an ordinary wheat drill, closing every other gain. The crop 
is improved by the addition of acidulated rock, 300 pounds 
per acre— no potash. They should be harvested when the pods 
begin to turn light if used for hay. Cow Peas will yield from 8 
to 12 tons of vines per acre, which is equivalent to from i to 2^ 
tons cured hay per acre. All varieties, except the diack, 
must not be sown before the ground becomes warm, or else 
the cold soil will cause them to decay. They can be sown 
after a crop of Crimson Clover has been harvested, and will 
mature their crop in time to again seed the land to Crimson 
Clover the same season. In the South and Middle Belt States 
they can be used for both vine and seed production ; in the 
North for only vine production. 
The Georgia experimental station gives the following sum- 
mary of results with their experiments : 
I. The best disposition of a crop of Cow Peas is to con- 
vert the vines into hay (or ensilage). 
