The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1900-07-11
COW PEA HAY CROP.

In bulletin on COW peas and corn
for silage and fodder, just issued by
the Department of Agriculture, and
prepared by w. Gcttys, of Tennessee,
at the request of Secretary of Aglicul-
ture Wilson, much attention is given
to COW pea hay from stubblc land. The
following is report Of such n crop.
The wheat was taken Off rs eaily as
possible after harvest, and i'm June the
land was turned and well narrowed
and rolled, the season being favorable
for such work. Whippoorwill peas, Il
bushcl to the acre, were Sown with an
ordinary wheat drill. The seed being
defective, the stand was not good, but
the growth was rapid and promised Il
rich crop of grain. As harvest time
approached the thought occurred to
the writer that, while there might be a
medium sized crop of good hay secured
from the land, cut and pat away in the
usual manner, there should be more of
the grain saved and utilized than is
possible when the crop is handled as
ordinary hay, knowing from past OBJ
servation that much, if not most. of
the grain is scattered and lost by the
time the hay reaches the feed mangcr.
The crop was permitted to stand be-
fore cutting few days longer than it
would have been for making hay, so as
to give a greater proportion of the
pods time to ripen. II was then cut
with mower and let lie in the hot sun
thirty-siX hours, when it was thrown in
to light windrOws with hay rake, the
raking beng done after sunset, some
times by moonlight, when tho plant
was tough, to AVOID Shattering the
leaves and grain. After remaining IN
the windrows twcnty-fom hours, it was
thrown INTO small cocks and left cX-
posed TO the sun and air for .thlrty-siX
hours longer, when it was loaded on
wagons and taken to the barn. No
threShcr suitable for the work being
available, the crop was run through
the silagc cutter. The cutter had IA
shredder attachment, but this, rcQulr-
ing toe speed, was removed and the
cutter kn.'" used rs with siage. TO
save the thrcshed peas separately from
the stOvcr was the next problem en-
countered.
For tins purpose section s feet
long was cut out of the bottom of the
carrier, and n suitable wire screen
tackled in place of the solld bottom,
which allowed the peas to drop through
into wagon bed on the ground under
meath, while the pea stovcr was carried
on up 36 feet into barn loft, where it
was well scattered and mixed with
other dry feed.
The peas were damaged but little in
the process, and after beng run
through hand pea cleaner were spread
out on granary floor to dry a few
days before sacking. The hay was not
so good as it would have been if cut
EARLIER, but this was more than count
crbalanced by the money value of the
peas secured, which was greater than.
~tfrrIG vHlnt.ee- llne- Of the ,Yheaa. crop Just re-
moved. The land was much benefited
by the growth of the peas, and re.
quired only the doubling of the disk
harrow to prepare IN excellent seed
bed for the wheat that was to immcdl-
atcly follow. OF course, the harvesting
and housing of the crop in tins manner
required favorable weather. but not
more 80 than would have been requir-
ed to put away successfully the crop i'm
the ordinary way.