The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-09-19

able to Its success. 1t is often found to make
an unsat isfactOry growth.
Oh late years another leguminous plant
has been coming to the front, and that
as the so-called Cow pea" 1t is not a
pea at ALL but bean, and, like many
other members of the dolichos family, is
probably of semi-troplcal origin. South
Of the range of successful clover culture
this bean has for long time been al
most without a rival. But il is coming
northward. 1t is found thot its range of
profitable growth Is much wider than has
been supposed. 1t will succeed in many
cases where clover completely fails. 1t
will make a fair growth, at least of vines,
in soil that Is too poor for clover. It
is quite indifferent to ordinary drought.
1t is of exceedingly rapid growth, and of
course gives quick returns Even in the
extreme northern states a large amount
of forage could in most instances be OBJ
tanned by sowing when all danger Of
freezing has passed and the soil is Tea-
sonably warm and harvesting or blowing
under the rank growth of vines which the
hot summer months are certain to give.
For hay the cow pea is excellent. If
well cured it is fully equal TO the best
mixed timothy and clover. The vine is,
however, very watery, and, therefore, diff
ticult to dry. Especially is this the case in
the extreme Southern states, where the
rainy season usually covers the harvest
period. Further north, by taking adj
vantage of a dry time, success viii be rea-
sonably certain. For forage and green
soiling the COW pea has no superior.
But for soil improvement it is doubtful
whether even clover at 'ts best estate"
Is superior to the COW pea. Like the
former, its benefits TO the soil are partly
mechanical and partly chemical. If turn
ed under Immediately before the coming
of autumn frosis, this legume furnishes
a rich store, both of humus and available
nitrogen. In the extreme South, this
blowing under must be deferred until the
late autumn and the vines have become
partially dry, since a deleterious acid
fermentation Is buried under the surface
soil while the average daily temperature
still ranges above the 20 mark
The day will come-if it is not already
here-when no farmer can afford to buy
nitrogen as a fertilizer He must raise
it," as he does other crops, by means of
clover, COW peas and other legumes. He
car obtain 1t in this way at a quarter the
cost for which he can buy it of the fer
tilizer agent. Even stable and barn yard
manure, valuable as they are, and care
fully as they should be husbanded should
be looked upon rather as adjuncts than
as the main source Of supply Of these two
most essential elements Of fertility and
profitable crop production, humus and nj
trogen.
One caution, however, cannot be too Of
ten repeated, and that Is this: While COW
peas can get all the nitrogen they need
from the air, nevertheless they must de-
pend upon the soil for their supply of min
eral food, phosphoric acid and potash, and
if these are not already present in sufi-
cient quantities and in readily available
condition, they can be easily supplied in
the form of phosphate and the var
| ious salts of potash. An average applica-
| ton would be about 300 pounds acid phos-
| phate and 100 pounds muriate or sulphate
of potash per acre. applied broadcast and
worked into tho soil before the seed is
sown.
Cow peas may be planted in a variety
of ways. method that the writer has
often pursued saves labor This Is to
have an intelligent, careful boy drop them
at distance Of eight or ten inches apart
tho exact distance is not material-in
every alternate furrOE when the land is
| last plowed in spring. They are, of course
| covered the next round. They do equal
| ly well sown broadcast and narrowed in
or in drills. From one to two bushels
of seed to the acre will usually be re-
| Quired.