The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1900-06-04
FERTILIZlNG COWPEAS.

In last weeks article under the head
of PLANT Cnwpcas." nothing was sald
about fcrtiizing. and I was reminded OF
the omission on reading the excellent arti-
Gle elsewhere from the pen Of Professor
Massey. TO which the careful attention
Of readers is directed. Many farmers are
ready 10 express surprise at the sugses-
t.on that the cowpea may be proftably
fortified. This surprise is probably due
10 the fact that Il has been considered
that the cowpca Is a poor land plant.
The saying too poor TO sprout cowpeaS
has been long used as cXprcssively de-
Scripffve OF a poor soil. the idea conveyed
being that the c0wpea Will grow In the
very poorest soil. The necessary infer
ence IS that Il would be folly 10 fertiliz"
a plant that viii grow on the poorest
soil. But the cowpea is by no means the
only plant that will grow on n very poor
soil On nearly every farm in the upiands
Of the south NAV be found wheat. oats.
corn. cotton. potatoes. etc. growing on
very poor soil. The real and peculiar fact
about the cowpea Is that u can procure
from the atmosphere one of the most
expensive as well as most Indispensable
elements Of plant food. viz nitrogen. This
power OF extracting nitrogen from the
ar IS not possessed ~ all. or in only
limited degree. by the other crops of the
farm. ON poor soil tho most important
element OF plant food required BY cotton.
corn. ar small grain is phosphoric acid.
j; is the dominant Tor nearly every spe-
cics Of plants. The next I'm Importance
Is nitrogen. and the last is potash. the
last two changing plans In the order of
Importance Ia the case of some crops and
On some soils. When we ferti.ize these
other crops We think OF acid ph sphate.
the first thing. as supplying phosphoric
acid Next We add nitrogen. say I'm the
form OF cotton meal. or dried blood. or
tankagc. and this is the most expensive
fer;iliz.ng element that the farmer buys.
BUT the cowpea does not require the
application # nitrogen. Ii can help Itself
from the air that surrounds its foliage
and that ci-culates through the soil. This
Is. therefore, the reason why the cowpca
ihrives better on "A poor soil than does
corn. cotton or potatoes. II IS not because
the coWpca does not just as imperatively
require nitrogen IN the formation Of its
tissues "a corn or cotton. but because
1t can forage tn the air for this element.
Corn and cotton cannot secure the needed
nitrogen from the air Hence We are
forced TO supply il 10y the application of a
fertilizer containing IL.
50 far from not requiring nitrogen in
producing lis vines ana fruit. the cowpea
requires even more than is nceiful for
analyses II the respective crops. The
cowuea. both III vine ana fruit. Is especial
il rich ia nitrogen.
u = Tits very faculty OF the cow2ea-
posSessei in common with tie clovcrs
peanuts, occcar weed. velvet bean,
Kstchcs and other ic-uminous plants-that
makes 81 such a valuable plant. that gives
the chief value 81 al these legumes.
have SAID that phosphoric acid is
the dominant Tor most plants. II IS
especially so IN the case of the cOwpea.
Caiefully conducted experiments have
been made ana the results show that ON
rnest ciay soils. Or oak and hickory soils
phosphcric acid IS an that is needed. ON
sandy and piney woods soil variable
proportion ~ potash may be necessary. IS
generally necessary. ON ordinary up
lands NAKED clay and gray soils l would
apply - ID 80 pounds per acre Of any
high grade acid phosphate. Probably
s..t hounds per acre would be too much
for u~1.itable results. on sandy piney
woods soils. and on very worn light soils
ia the oak and hickory regions. ] would
add about twenty-five pounds OF muriate
II potash. or lco pounds o; kainit Every
farmer may determine 10y actual expert
rneltt whether i would pay 10 apply pot
ash IN any torm on his particular SOIL
when planting "a cNyDeas.
W fs-ner should hesitate in regard 10
the expe,Ii,ucy Of applying acid phosphate
10 This crop. II an acre Of thin land viii
produce 9neh1lf ton 81 peavine hay
without fertilizer. ana the application of
-rs pounds uf acid phosphate, would IN
crease. th, WELD 10 one ton OF hay, no
further calculating would he necessary.
And believe that such a difference not
au unreasonable improbable result
Moreover. Don addition 60 the value NJ the
extra half -1n Of hay. the soil Itself VIII
D.. IN "A better condition Tor n following
r..tfer 10 nay for the $40 worth OF acid
r.r,,sfnatct n. j. REDDlNG.