The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1902-06-17
No. 10
TIME AND MANNER OF PLANTING.

/
The great secret in sowing cowpeas
is not to get them in the ground too
early, before the soil is dry and warm.
The latter part of June and early
July is perhaps the best time. If the
soil is wet and cold postpone planting.
| No harm will be done. When we
have learned a little more about this
plant we will find it possible to harvest
a wheat crop, SOW to cowpeas imme-
diately, harvest the cowpeas for hay,
and then follow with wheat again. I
do not approve of this rotation, even
where the seasons will permit it to be
done, but still in many instances it can
be followed with cowpeas and later by
wheat. It is done in the South with
/ lots of time between each crop and
there is no reason why in some in
stances it cannot be done further
North, especially with the early ma
turing spring crops.
The cowpea may be drilled and cul-
tivated like corn, or broadcasted and
narrowed in. The seed drill can be
used, but it breaks many of the seed.
On rich soils, if broadcasted, the guam
tity of seed should be about ~ bush
els per acre. IF less than this quantity
the stems will grow too large and
stout to cure well into hay. About a
bushel per acre on thin lands viii
prove a good seeding, and it would be
best to SOW in rows and cultivate.
VARIETIES AND TIME OF RIPENING.
I have had best results with the
| Whippoorwin and Warren's Extra
Early. The latter will ripen in go
days from the sowing, while the form
er will require very little longer Pc
riod. Either variety under ordinary
conditions will mature sufficiently for
making good quality hay. If the seed
is Southern grown it will not usually
mature. If we are after hay, rich in
protein, this is not a serious matter.
The cowpea crop is produced in 60 to
80 days, while with clover a year or
more is needed.
CURING AND HARVESTING COWPEAs.
The greatest difficulty in the culture
of the cowpea lies in harvesting and
curing the crop. Like clover this 10
no easy thing to do and get a good
grade of hay. If you can cure clover,
you can cure cowpea hay. We put. in
the NOV the past fall, during arwet
season, over 40 tons of cowpea hay and
fed it away into the winter It is
bright and clear and what we term of
the highest quality. We cut the crop
with the moving machine and left it
alone for day. Then used the ted
der in the morning for a good stirring
and that same evening it was put up
in good-sized cocks and left for three
days. The cocks we're then opened and
spread out to sun dry. That evening
they we're taken into the barn and
stored in the NOV. We are feeding it
to take the place of bran for our
horses and cattle, mich COWS and
young steers. They eat everything, in
Guiding the coarse stems, and nothing
is better.
! COwPEAs IN CORN
If you can grow corn add nitrogen
to the soil and get forage eropaat
the same time, something desirable.
Many farmers are doing this. When
the corn is laid by the last of June
about half bushel of cowpeasp pper
acre is sown before the cultivator. The
cultivator covers the seed. Whenethe
corn is harvested, usually a ton or
more cowpeas per acre are in sight.
These cannot be harvested for hay,
but make good pasture for either cat
tie, horses, sheep or swine. If corn is
to be followed with wheat, the peas.
can be left on the ground for their fer
tilizing effect or pastured off. This.
means humus and plant food for the
soil. / believe the coming of the cow
pea will prove blessing to our farm
ing people, To the farmer who can
not grow clover, cowpeas will prove
friend.
Warsaw Cor. Post: Our farmers