The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1899-08-02
An Al1-Round Crop.

An All-KOunQ crop.
The virtues of the cow pea as a
stock food, both green and cured, and
as a renovator of the soil, is becoming
widely known and appreciated. In the
South the COW pea has gradually been
developing into a staple crop for sew
eral years. although not even yet is the
proper attention given it. In sections
of the country further north the farm
ers have learned that the plant is sec
ond only to clover, and where the eli
mate permits of its cultivation, it now
occupies a conspicuous portion of the
farm.
A correspondent of the Farmer and
Fruit Grower writes as follows con-
cerning the many uses of the plant, and
suggests the best methods of culture
and treatment in his section:
Do you know the farmers do not half ap
preciate the cowpea as a forage feed and fer
tilizing crop. There is nothing they can pos
sibly grow on the farm, with little labor,
that begins to equal it, and to give it half
chance you are almost certain of good,
erage crop. There is but one other legume
that surpasses it, and that is the Florida vel
vet bean. But for speedy growth and early ma
turity of seed the COW pea stands at the head.
1t is wonderful nitrogen gatherer, and it IS
therefore, exceedingly valuable, both a
green feed, dry forage and renovator of the
soil. An average crop will yield in green far
age twelve to twenty thousand pounds to the
acre, and of dry peas, twenty to thirty bush
els. To use this mass of leaf and vine for
pasture, to cut and cure it fox dry feed, OF
to for silo, must necessarily be OF great
value. Every living thing the farm sill
eat the green cured feed or dry peas Hogs
greedily as they would cora, oats or hay. hogs
do specially we'll on them, and to turn them
on field will fatten perfectly.
You can grow crop successfully with but
little trouble or labor. First ploM and fit YOUR
ground nicely, after which seed with common
wheat drill. When plants up fonr or five
inches run over field with weighted harrow.
paying attention to rows, thus freeing your
ground of grass and weeds. Do not fear this
rough usage will injure your plants This one
dressing will be all your crop will require
Should you want to follow crop of corn
with extra early cowpeas, you can do so by
sowing broadcast and cover seed by cultivat-
ing corn, drop seed in drill row and
cover with cultivator or shovel plOw.
There two three of the extra early va
rieties that are well adapted to the central and
northern states, any of which will mature
their seed in sixty days from date of planting.
When grasses, and other forage crops so
often fail, the extra early cowpea is most
valuable substitute, and will quickly supply a
most urgent want. This legume will do we'll
in poor SOIL but always bear in mind the rich
er the soil the better the crop. Ordinarily
plant this pea the time you would corn,
but for feed, forage, for fertilizing, can be
planted much later even as late as the first OF
August, but to plant earlier is better. l would
use at least six pecks of seeds to the acre to
insure good stand and the best results.
have had many writers ask me as to the
best way of harvesting this crop and thresh
ing seed There are two ways. If crop is to
be threshed by steam horse power then
cut vines up with scythe or mower when pods
are early ripe. After thoroughly curing in sun.
rake into windrows. then haul and thresh. but