The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1892-02-13
THE COW PEA.


with this issue we commence series OF articles
on the pea vine with hope that We can induce
others to build up their land with theml
In the first place we read what many
intelligent farmers had to say of the COW
pea, then we testei them ourselves, so
there is no fine spun theories about what
we shall have to say Of the great fertile
ing pea.
We contend and advocate that he is a
wise and level-headed farmer who plants
largely Of these peas, more especially
when he has plenty of poor over worked
soil. Soon planting time will come, hence
the reason for these articles, as we do not
believe in "writing up'' anything out of
season.
We are talking in favor Of mother
earth-all of the loose PARTICLES of
organic matter ON the surface of Middle
Florida.
Turner once said:
.'Such land as yc break up for barley to SOW,
Two earths at the least, ere ye SOW 1t below
s. One of these earths ought to be COW
peas.
Ne good farmer will ever be caught
cheating the earth of its vitality; always
receiving something for himself and his
family from good, old mother earth and
never giving her back anything in return.
In fact it is downright robbery not
punishable by the existing laws.
We feel satisfied that there are farmers
of this clas in our portion of the state
and altogether too many Of them for the
good of the soil, and every year they are
getting poorer and more disconnected.
We are cutting these solid facts by the
pitshfork full for their benefit, hoping
that it will have tendency to stir them up
and be the cause Of their mending their
ways.
We claim this for the oonoh or cow pea,
that they are very fine for the table; that
is a very strong point; something for the
farmers table, no matter what it is so it
is good to eat and he grows it on his farm
and saves money by So doing.
They are good in a green state cooked
with chunk Of pork, then they can be
stewed or baked after the style of the
white navy bean, many claim that they
are every bit and grain as good, and some
contend that they are even better. They
make a rich dish when properly cooked,
either green or dried.
So much then for the family, now
comes the stock on the farm; they like
something good to eat even if it is not
cooked and all those who have grown the
pea know that every hoof Of stock on the
farm take to them kindly.
They take the place of hay on any we'll
regulated farm and hay is always needed
in this portion of the state nearly every
month in the year Whe the corn crop
has made a failure the previous yea,
which. is too often the case, then this p a
forage comes in god play, say next
month and April how nice it would be for
the poor, lank dumb brutes to have few
stacks of we'll cured pea vines to chew at,
and they ought to have them by all
means and the farmer does his dumb
animals an injustice when he does not
provide such gables for their mainten-
ance.
We'have not tried them as cow food l.,
mt we know of several farmers who have
and they tell Us the pea fodder makes al
excellent flow of milk and keeps the COW
in a fine condition.
!. They have decided advantage over
beggar weed or crab grass because not
ne ,r as much is necessary at a feed.
RIO be continued
Tobacco Barn and How to Build