The Forrest City times., 1901-09-20
FARMER AND PLANTER.
ABOUT CORN AND COW PEAS.
Important Subject to the Southern Farmer Discussed From n Prnc-
 tical Standpoint.

 will thus be broken, and if the work be done sufficiently early, while the grass is small, it will be destroyed. If & baking rain falls soon after plant ing, the cultivator can be advantage ously run across the rows, thus break ing the crust and enabling the plants to come through.
 The soil should receive at least one deep. thorough blowing after the cul- tivator has been employed, as afore- said. To do this, throw the dirt from the plants with an ordinary turning blow, then run some suitable narrow blow in the bottoms of the furrows, and, if there be time, proceed thus until the entire lniddles are plowed.
 Deep culture will prepare the soil for the penetration of the roots, but should be superseded 5y shallow cul- ture before the roots run out to any considera ble extent. Careful tests have shown that deep blowing say six inches deep, near the corn, after the growing season has considerably advanced, will damage the corn from It to 20 per cent.
 We take it for granted that the corn has been planted in wide drills, not less than six and a half feet apart, with a view of drilling a row of COW peas midway between. 1 have no hes itancy in saying that if equal facili- ties be given corn and COW peas, the climate being suitable for each, the peas will. on an average, be the more valuable crop.
 A good crop of COW peas will easily gather from the air 100 pounds of ni- trogen per acre. which is worth as fertilizer about 15 cents pound. consequently when the vines are turned under they will carry with them about $15 worth of nitrogen per acre, to be drawn on by the next crop. From 30 to 50 bushels of shelled peas per acre can easily be grown, worth, say, 50 cents per bushel (they are now worth $150), we thus have total of $30 per acre, which is much more than the corn crop of the United States will average. The pea vines will supply the much needed humus. In addition to this, while the vines are rotting, important chemical changes will take place. Much benefit will be derived from these two sources, which are now taken into ac- count.
 Peas drilled midway between wide corn rows can be successfully grown with, at most, but little detriment to the corn. Some argue that peas, by shading the ground, are an advantage to corn.
 When peas are planted as late as they will mature, they do their prin- cipal growing after the corn has gone into decline. Therefore, very nearly full crop of each can be grown. For joint crop of corn and cow peas the peas may be planted from June 10 to July 10. The Black and Whippoorwill pease are preferable for late plant ing.
 In a climate where COW peas will flourish, a row of corn should never be planted without making proper provision for peas also. This provision means drilling and thorough cutliva- tion. The COW pea is too important crop to broadcast and leave to take its chance with grass and weeds. A rank growth should be produced by us.Ag a fertilizer containing phos- phoric acid and potash in proper quantities.
 After one deep blowing cultivators may principally be employed for corn. A strip about a foot board, midway between the corn rows, is preferably plowed deep each time up to the time the peas are planted. A loose bed will thus be prepared for the peas. It pays we'll to blow deep. even to sub- soil, for peas, as they stand a drought much better
 Cultivation should be continued as long as the pea vines will permit The crust can advantageously be broken until the corn is in early roasting ear
 Many corn crops are virtually ruined by quitting them too soon. A crust is formed and the by what is called capillary attraction the soil Is soon deprived of moisture.
 make this matter plainer by using simple illustrations: If you hold one end of a pin in candle the heat will soon compel you to drop it. In this case the pin in conductor of heat. Even so with the soil. The crust, in connection with a compact soil, is conductor of heat and, as a result, the moisture is soon drawn from the soil Many fine crops of corn have been virtually ruined by few days of dry. hot weather, when they could have been saved by breaking the crust in time Avoid this loss by preparing a aust mulch. The surface of the mulch may become heated, but the heat can not be conducted downward.-Bryan Tyson, in Southern Farmer.
 anryrHYO o-