The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1900-03-14
COW PEA VINE HAY,

When promised to gave Won som.
observations on COW pea hay. I hao
certain data before me, which are not /
to be had today, so that win have to
go on general recollection.
l always knew that the hay from
COW peas was very valuable, but / had
no idea how much so until l read an
article in the Southern Farmer, givins, |
the results of the experiments made |
by the Tennessee Experimental Sta
ton on 1t. 1t seems they tried aVV
each in COW pea hay corn add
The peas made $500 pounds Of h0I
corn 900 pounds of gin
the oats 200 pounds o. lsS'Itsss
straw. 1t will be seen that the ace +,
age of COW peas made more pounds by |
l, 900 that the corn and oats comhineR.
The Station instituted experiments |
to test the relative feeling values, and
here is where l was, to say the least,
astoundcd. They found that the acre
OF pea vine hay was equal in value TO
300 bushels oats including the straw
and IT'S bushels corn including the fod-
der. This was demonstrated clearly
to my mind, but L cannot undertake TO
only say that any farmer knows that the
value of fertilizer depends on the
quantities and proportions of nitrogen,
phosphoric acid and potash 1t contains
so the feeding value of Il stuff depends
on the amount and proportions of two
substances only, VIZ, Protein and non
Protein, the former corresponding
TO the nitrogen in the fertilizer and is
the costly ingredient the latter being
very abundant and cheap, and eau be
supplied i'll wheat and oat straw 20 a
very large extent. In oat straw the
proportion is about | Of protein to 80
! nOn-protcin. Now there is such a
| thing as a nutritivc ratio and to feed
an animal economically certain proper
lions must be observed. For Instance,
an OK at rest will need ration of of
protein to y of non-protein upon
which he will maintain his condition
neither growing poorer nor fatter, but
when he is put to work the ration must
be changed to this proportion: | to 5
IL. TO make myself more Ineligible
corn grain, cotton seed meal and such
stuffs furnish protein, and hay and
straw furnish non-protcin. Now
every one knows, if he gives his COW
all cotton seed meal, she will die 1T il
too rich in protein or if he feeds all
straw or hay, she will dwiudlc, be.
cause they contain too little protein
and too much non-protein. SO to gel
the value of Il food, the stuff fed must
be in such amounts as will mote
full digcstibilitY. Now then, a COW in
milk wants ration having nutritivt
ration Of to urE5 1-2, not makimgly
of l to II as stated in the case of the
OK.
Cow pea hay Is exceedingly rich il
PROTEIN and very deficient in non
protein, the nutritve ratio being | tC
3 IL. Thus you see that in feeding
COW pea hay you feed entirely too
much of costly ingredient. 1t IS lik,
feeding equal parts cotton seed mca
and hulls which anybody knows is no
right. Therefore TO get the true feed
ing value of COW pea vine hay 1t SHOULD
: be fed as one feeds horse, that is il
connection with hay or wheat o
J oat straw, the straw being the yer,
} thing wanted, for it is richest in non
protein stuff. l will not undertake {,
make the calculation. You will onl
remember that the milk COW wants
nutritive ratio OF to s or 5 - willis
pea vine hay is | to 3 l.2, aud oat
| straw l to 30-and remember turtle
that one acre of pea vine hay is equu
to 300 bushels of oats and 175 bushel
of corn with fodder and straw includ
, ed according to the Tennessee Expert
mental Station.
, How to cure the hay Is the grca
question. l have never been able t.
} do it at all satisfactorily till last year
In fact, | always thought it could no
be done satisfactorily by me. TO stat
my plan last year got stakes II fee
long, sunk them in the ground 2 feet
nailed strip A feet long two feet abov
ground, and when this was filled "
, feet high, another strip was nailed on
and so on TO the top. This made
stack about > feet in diameter and Il
or II feet nigh.
The mower was started and tn
stacking commenced at once. 1t cure,
up elegantly, and was finally put i,
the barn.
l consider the roots of the pea v,n
as valuable, in the way of fertilizer
after cutting the hay as before. S,
you see you can kill two birds with ON
ono stone, viz; to fcrtillzc the land an,
to raise the best crop Of hay to be had
Yours truly,
r. j. MOORE.