The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1880-04-01

The Cow PEA.-Ne we're tempted %
write 1t goLicn pea, Instead of COW pea, for
il IS indeed a golden pea In the best and
most acceptable sense.
lis excellent feeding qualities for stock,
its marketable value as a food for man, aud
It's wonderful powers of recuperatlng aud
improving WORKOUT lands, combine 10 make
it one OF the most important asd profitable
crops that the farmer can grow. Every part
OF the plant Is useful there Is literally ~
waste roots, stems, leaves, hlll>, 2ad irull,
each and al serve some IN portAnt purpose
aud It's cultivation, instead OF exhaustlnx
in the least, actually improves the soii b.
adding more plant food than WAS al hrsi
present.
This can be said Of very few crops, 1t
thrives, too, on really poor l.nI, where
scarcely any other plants viii flourish. As
q ~tattener for hogs aud some other stock 1t
has few superiors the vines cut and cured
make good hay the green or dried fruit Is
a rellshabie diet and the nitrogen that II
add 10 the soil b. shaking II, aud vegetable
matter arising from the decay OF Roots and
leaves make II an improver wherever aud
whenever grown.
FROM table OF analysis before u, the fer
tilizing value Of the pea lyIue>y y sho~n 10
be as follows: Potash loss. soda Ills,
magnesia 96, lime los, pho>phoric acid
8. ST, sulphurlc acid Los, ammonia li.2U.
No where else IN all the broad realms of IA
ture or art can the farmer get 50 much am
mania, potash, soda, lime, and phosphorlc
acid for 50 little money aud labor. luvesu-
gate as much as you please, try 1t where you
Will, but you will tail everywhere else. The
large amount Of soda above was probably
owing To the soil III which the samples grow.
On poorer land the effect would BE- less soda
and more potash. The nutrltive value OF
the pea is about as follows: albumlnolds "a
per cent, carbo- hydrates 50 per cent, fat
, per cent. The altumlnolds furnished
the blood, issues, muscle, membranes
chords, &c, of the animal, structure the
flesh formers. The carlo hydrates are the
heat producers. The first furnished the ma
terial and the latter the working power.
1t will be seen that the pea is rich in both
of these, and, therefore, a very valuable crop
for the farmer to grow.
But perhaps the highest value Of the COW
pea, and that for which there is a great i'm
mediate need, is its worth as a FERTILIZER
For us of the South, where clover will not
always succeed, it is the best improver that
We can use.
Consider the circumstances, it's adapta-
blllty to poor lands-two crops In one sea
son-the thorough shading OF the soil-the
large amount of nitrogen, &c, that 1t fur
nishes-the readiness with which it decom-
poses in the soil-and the fine, mellow con-
dition in which it leaves the ground, and
where do We find anything else 50 we'll suited
to the needs Of this section? Clover does
not approach it. 1t is the prince among
| crops for the poor mcn and the poor soils OF
the South.
Surely a pea that performs the triple duty
OF furnishing food to man, beast, and the
soil alike, and that is no stinting measure
to each, is well worthy the appellation got
den. 1t will bring gold to the pockets of any
man who will utilize it Alright.