The Somerset reporter., 1900-08-09
coWPEAs FOR TIE NORTH.
Suitable ynrIetIc.--z-hen and How
TO pianf he-.8.

In the agricultural pess during the
past f.. years a4eEt cawfaas there
still appears to l. Il lar..e number of
readers Who are uIacqf.l.ated with
one OF the moSt useful and most easily
grown Of all restorative and fodder
producing plants. Many seem to sup
pose that cowpeas can he grown only IN
the south and that they are not adapt
ed to the needs of the northern farmer.
The fact is that coWpeas are very
easy crop to grow and that success
full crop of cowneas can he gfown any
where that the common field beans
will succeed and that they require
much the same conditions for success.
says a Farm and Field correspondent.
The fact that some northern farmers
have tried cowpeas and pronounced
them a failure does not prove them
worthless. | have taken some pains to
ascertain the cause of failure In certain
cases and am convinced that the choice
of unsuitable varieties, too early SOW
ing and a Notwithstanding of the ma
ture of cowpeas-on or all of these
causes are responsible for nearly or
quite all failures. The very name cow
pea Is misleading to northern farmers,
who have been accustomed to the
hardy garden peas and the marrowfat
and Canadian field peas. They very
naturally get the idea that cowpeas,
being peas, may be sown mixed with
oats very early in the spring, the same
as Canada peas.
Cowpeas are more like beans and
are susceptible to injury by freezing
and are often injured even by frosts.
They must not be planted or sown be-
fore June | at the north When 1t Is
safe to plant field beans, then plant
cowpeas IL to be saved for seed, they
should be planted In rows far enough
apart to admit of horse cultivation and
may stand four or six inches apart in
the row. They should be kept free
from weeds and the soil mellow. Har-
vest and thrash same as beans. Ii
sown for hay for soiling or for plow-
ing under, they may be drilled In well
prepared soil with a wheat drill, using
all the tubes and sowing 115 bushels TO
the acre.
There are over hundred distinct va
rieties of cowpeas, differing much in
the habit of growth, time Of ripening
and quantity of forage produced. Many
varieties like Wonderful and Clay,
make heavy growth of vine. but are
very late, requiring four to five months
for maturing seed, and of little value
at the north when other and much ear
ha bf a mod
The large early black variety has
proved to be one of the best varieties
for the north among those which have
been extensively tried, succeeding in
many parts of New York. Michigan,
Connecticut. Ohio. Pennsylvania and
Indiana. The large early black ma
ture seeds in about so to 80 days and
make very bushy vine. often stand
ing three feet high on fairly good soil
and producing such an immense bur
den that 1t is extremely difficult to plow
them under even after rolling them
down and using roller cutter on plow.
A new variety. the Mount Olive. is
proving remarkably early. yet makes
a strong vine and bids fair to be the
coming cowpea for the north as soon
as 1t becomes generally known. With
me the past season the Mount Olive RI
pened its seeds perfectly in 65 days
from planting and grew bushy vines
"a inches high.
Cowpeas will grow on land too poor
to grow clover but will grow much
stronger and more rank on good soil.
CoWpeas. like clover. are n soil improv-
er and by chemical analysis contain
much the same properties as clover.
Cowpeas are a quick growing summer
crop and may be planted after remov-
ing early crops of potatoes, cabbage.
etc. Cowpeas are grand crop to piow
under preparatory to sowing fall
wheat. Some of the heaviest crops of
wheat In this country are grown on
soil SO prepared. BY plowing under
the crops of cowpeas and crimson clo-
yer poor soil can be much improved
and good soil made better at less ex-
pense than by any other method.