The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-05-01
THE COW PEA-THE PRACTICAL
FARMERS IS $25 PRIZE
ESSAY.


The COW pea is the salvation of the
Southern farmer, if used for the
double purpose of stock feeding and
renovating the land Time for SOW
ing for best results, about the 18th
of June, though they may be sown
and do we'll from 1st of June to 18th
of July. They will do fairly we'll on
any land that is not too wet, but high
sand or middle land give the best re-
suits. l have had good success with
any kind of what are ecommOnlycalled
the COW pea, but would prefer the
Unknown, as they stand up bet
ter and make more forage per acre.
l have SOwn from one peck to two
bushels per acre. I prefer to SOW
one bushel on fairly good land, as the
growth will be more vigorous and
give better results. With less seed,
you have too much native grass,
which is not near so good feed and
does not do the land half the good
the pea does. Broadcast is the best
way, as it gives a great deal more
forage and gets more roots into the
ground to enrich and put it in better
physical condition. Peas will grow
very we'll on poor land, but pay
handsomely for manure. 1 have used
with good success 300 pounds acid
phosphate, 100 pounds kainit we'll
mixed and applied (400 pounds), per
acre thus manured 1900 pounds per
acre would be a fair amount of hay
on average land, though have got
ten 1000 pounds. AS to saving the
peas l know of no other way than
picking, which is somewhat expen-
sive. We pay twenty-five cents per
hundred, or some give one third of
the peas. The yield of the seed per
acre runs all the way from to %
bushels. There is a great deal in
the proper handling of the hay. Sew
eral factors are to be taken into ac-
count after it has been grown.
1. The hay must be cut at the right
time, not too ripe or too green, but
just when the vines are ripe, as the
first pods begin to yellow and the
leaves begin to yellow and fall some.
Then if the weather is fair and
likely to remain so (be sure to have a
mower of your OWN, after the dew
is off 90 in and cut. The next day as
soon as the dew has dried off, rake
into windrOws. The next day go in
with your fork and put in nice round
shocks, about 100 pounds (when it is
dried Out) to the shock. If the
weather is favorable leave it in this
condition about two days and then
while quite limp pack away in a good
barn and leave it there to cure it
will get pretty hot and possibly scare
you some, but don t bother it in the
course of a few days it will cool off
and you will have lot of nice green
looking hay that [ would not eX-
change pound for pound for any hay
that | ever saw. Horses or COWS will
eat it in preference to any other for
age and will do we'll on it. Mules
will do we'll on it without any other
food when not at work. Cattle will
fatten and milch COWS give lots of
nice, rich milk and pure, sweet but
ter. There is great Improvement in
the soil when you get heavy pea
fallow. One of our farmers told me
in his last year S cotton crop, he had
a field half of which had good pea
fallow the year before, and the other
half was in cotton. He put the whole
field in cotton last year the differ
ence was very perceptible in favor
of the pea fallOw. Says he, where
the pea fallOw gave out the cotton
gave out. Another of our best farm
ers told me ''Inever made any money
raising cotton till began to rotate
and plant on pea fallOws. Now
make some money" 1 have never
seen any crop but did better after a
heavy crop of peas especially in this
the case with cotton and wheat. II
you are troubled with rot in your
cabbage just put them after peas and
I III assure you you will have a good
crop of nice sound heads. Now, Mr.
Editor, I would like to give you my
own experience with one acre last
year. I took one acre of tolerably
good land. 1t was planted in corn
the year before with a pea row be
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