The Globe-republican., 1898-02-24

Cow Peas and Sofa Beans
For Fertilizer.-The value of these
two crops as fertilizer is largely due
to their high per cent. of nitrogen and,
further. upon the fact that though they
prefer good land they will grow on
either sand or clay that is too poor to
raise anything else"
Az the roots are small and nearly
i've sixths of the plant is above ground
the stubble alone does not enrich the
ground a. much as do the correspond
ing parts Of alfalfa and Of clover. Sown
for fertilizer. the crop should be plowed
pastured OF before blowing. They are
Indifferent to fertilizers, except the
superphosphates.
Yield.-Rhode Island reports yields Of
two or three tons Of dry matter Of COW
peas and slightly less of sofa beans.
Delaware reports but little over one
ton per acre Of COW peas. Louisiana
over one and one-half tons and South
Carolina over three and one-half tons
Of dry matter to which ten per cent
should be added to express 1t In terms
Of hay. Ohio reports but one and one
half tons Of green foliage, but the land
was poor. The yield of seeds varies
greatly in different localities. with diff
ferent varieties and with time Of plant
ing. In general. COW peas and sofa
beans are capable of about equal yield
In seeds. the former tending to excel in
the South and the latter in the North.
Both yield more in drills than when
sown broadcast; late planting tends to
increase seed production and early
planting to excessive development Of
stem and leaf. OF the many varieties
Of cow peas. the small upright growers
are most prolific in seed and the So
called trailers, of longer growth. yield
most Of forage. Yields of seed report
ed vary from ten or twelve bushels to
~ high as thirty-seven per acre.
though twenty-five bushels is a good
yield of COW peas and twenty OF sofa
beans.
Varieties.-The two common varieties
Of sofa beans are the Black Medium and
the Early White, or Improved White.
OF these the first seems to give the
ranker growth of vines and the latter
the heavier yield of seed.
The sixty or more varieties of cow
peas differ greatly in character OF
growth, in amount of vine. in yield of
seed, and in the time required from
seeding to maturity. Some OF the
smaller varieties called bunch" varie-
ties are entirely upright, like sofa
beans, others called "trailers" send out
long trailing vines fifteen or twenty
feet long, and still others called run
ners" send out upright stalks which af-
terward from extreme development re-
sumo horizontal position. The real
trailers produce heavy growth of vine.
but the crop is difficult to secure with
the mower, which rides over many of
the lowest vines, leaving them attached
both to the ground and to the tangled
mass of vines about them. Because Of
this, the so-called runners are preferred
as being easier to cut clean from the
ground. A few varieties will live in
the ground over winter in the southern
states and come up the succeeding
spring. The following supposed facts
will be of value to the prospective
grower: IT, means trailing: G) run
ming; (e) erect.
Very Early.-Sixty or seventy days;
New Erea r). Chocolate (r), Congo (r),
Vacuum r). White Giant (r).
Early.-Whippoorwill (e). Red
Crowder G), Granite r).
Medium.-Coffee (e). Large Lady (r).
Pony G).
Late.-Black Eye (r), Everlasting (r).
White Crowder G).
Very Late.-Unknown Tor Wonderfully
(e), Black (r), Blue Hull (r), Purple Hull
Crowder (r). Clay (e). Conch IT.. Gourd
G), Calico (r). Quadroon (e). Redding
r). Red Nipper G). Rice (r), Speckled
Crowder ~.
North Carolina prefers Unknown and
Black for yield of either forage or seed.
Clay for poor land and Red Nipper for
dry, sandy land. Nearly all except the
northern states place Unknown first
and Black second for general use. that
is, for both seed and vine. The Clay
recommended for poor soils has much
vine. but is poor bearer. The Blue is
small. with few vines, but good bear
er. Whippoorwill is an early variety
Of great excellence, but is bunch"
pea with few vines.
Culture.-Either of these crops will
grow on almost any land that is not too
wet. and may be sown broadcast at
the rate Of one-half to two bushels per
acre. using least seed with the trail
ing or running varieties. They may
also be planted in drills Of convenient
distance for cultivating. planting the
seeds five or six inches apart In the
row, In which case a bushel Of sofa
beans will plant about four acres. and
Of COW peas four to six, according to
the variety. The yield Of seed will be
best from drills. but the culture II
cheaper when sown broadcast on
ground well prepared as for corn. In
which case the crop now takes posseS-
sion Of the ground to the exclusion OF
weeds. In the South COW peas are fire.
quently sown In corn at the last cult