People's party paper. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1891-1898, 1897-07-09
THE COWPEA CROP.
when to Make Hay and When to Turn
Under as Green Manure.

when to Make Hay and When to Turn
Under as Green Manure.
Whether pea vines should be used for
making hay, for pasture or for blowing
under as green manure must depend up
on the condition of the field in which
they are grown. If the field is in fairly
good condition, it will usually be more
profitable to make hay of them than to
use them in any other way. The roots
and the leaves which drop from the
vines will on all soils which are in good
condition be sufficient to still further
improve their condition and will fur
nish a sufficient supply of heterogeneous
matter for the succeeding crop. Such
soil will yield at least two tons Of hay
per acre, and at the same time its sup
ply of plant food available for succeed
ing crops will be greatly increased, so
that the blowing under of the whole
vines will be at loss.
On poorer soils, where the yield of
vines is light, it is often better to use
the entire crop as a fertilizer, but the
manner in which it should be used
should be determined by the physical
condition of the soil. If the soil is a
heavy clay which needs to be made
lighter and looser, we have found it bet
ter TO pillow the vines under while green,
as they are then more effective in their
aerating and mellowing action. IL the
vines are so heavy as to tangle and
make blowing difficult, they should be
grazed few days lNevious to the plow-
ing, but no longer than is necessary to
enable the pillow to cover what remains.
One Of the main objects of the work is
to incorporate the green vegetable mat
ter with the soil for its mechanical eff
feet, and the blowing should be made
to bury as much bulk Of vines as is pos
sible.
If the soil is sandy and already too
light, green vines should never be
plowed under, but should be grazed or
left to decay on the surface. When the
vines are grazed, the tramping Of the
stock improves the condition of the
light soil, and the droppings of the ami
mails will contain very nearly the same
fertilizing elements originally in the
pea vines, SO very little is carried from
the field. Such field should be grazed
if possible, but if it cannot be pastured
the vines should be allowed to decay
on the surface of the ground SO as to
protect the field from washing during
the winter. When the vines are pIowed
under while fresh, we have found it
better to do the work not later than o.
tober, and then to sow oats for covering
the ground during winter. If grazed or
plowed under early in the spring, the
cat crop removes nothing permanently
from the soil, and all the fertility made
available by the pea crop will again be
available after the decay Of the oats.
The cowpea is one Of the few crops
which will yield an abundant crop of
valuable hay and at the same time leave
the soil on which it grew in an i'm
proved chemical and mechanical condi-
ton for succeeding crop. 1t is the best
catch crop which can be grown for hay,
and is by far the best crop which can
be grown on land from which wheat,
oats or other early crops have been har-
vested. In oultivating for hay it is i'm
portant to select varieties which will be
in a condition for cutting early in Ooto-
Der, as that gives the whole of the
growing season for the production Of a
heavy crop and brings the harvesting in
the month when there is the least rain.
The best time to cut pea vines for hay
is when the first pods begin to ripen.
The foregoing is from a bulletin issued
from the Mississippi Agricultural COL
lege station.