Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1905-02-17
HdrMdn g.
Bottimore.
HOME GROWN PROTEIN.


The Cowpea In the south.
By {. +. DOANE. Maryland Experiment
Station.
The cowpea has become the leading
lcguininOus crop OF the southern states.
and il Will doubtless become more pop
ular and highly appreciated when its
full value becomes better known. 1t is
not only valuable as a forage crop,
but il also ranks high as soil i'm
proven and will be largely used for this
purpose when the southern farmers re-
alize the necessity of leguminous plants
in their farm economy and adopt rota-
tons for these crops.
Cowpeas have been grown at the
Maryland station for number Of
years and used chiefly as n green ma
nure, but during the last few years It
has been considered more profitable TO
utilize them I'm some way as feed for
stock. For this purpose the cowpeas
have been made into hay and silage.
COwpeR and Corn snnEe Compared.
Feeding experiments with cowpeas
were conducted through two winters.
The cowpeas used I'm this test were of
the black variety. Cowpea silage is
quite different in general appearance
from corn silage. 1t becomes darker in
color and does not have quite as pleas
ant an odOr. BY tests in the laboratory
1t was found to be less acid than corn
silage. When the cows were first
given the cowpea silage they did not
seem TO relish II, and some individuals
refused TO eat IL entirely. The apparent
dislike at first was only another in
stance of many similar ones when new
food is offered and serves as additional
proof that animals as well as men
must be given time TO acquire a taste
for many foods. The cows soon learn
ed to like the cowpea silage, though
they never ate as much as of the corn
silage, but judging from the milk
yields they evidently consumed sufi-
Client 10 do good work. In this connec-
ton II may be noted that none OF the
cows in the station herd consume as
much roughage as is commonly men
TONED 10y many writers and recorded
! by some eXperimenters.
The result shows that the cows re-
ceiving cowpea silage made the best
gains and those receiving the corn and
cOwpea silage mixed q close second.
The results cannot be taken other than
| that the cowpea silage is little better
FOR milk production than corn slage.
1t is true that practically as much
| grain was needed with cowpea silage
as with corn silage and, though this
| grain is or can be raised on the farm
and the grain 10 feed with corn sllage
needs be purchased, one is about as
valuable on the market as the other
| This is compensated for in another
way.
Reducing the Fertilizer BflL.
The dealer in fertilizers gets about as
much Of the average farmers money
as does the feed dealer. To reduce the
| fertilizer bill as much as possible, con.
sistent with good crops. should he The
aim Of every farmer Both alfalfa and
cowpea belong TO the class OF plants
that obtain great part OF their nitro
gen from the air. and in doing this they
enrich the soil materially instead Of ex.
hausting ii, as will many of the for.
age crops commonly grown, except, OF
course, clover. COwpeas are perhaps
the most valuable fertility restoreI
available for the southern farmer. as
IL Will grow on soil where no other for
age plant will grow. Alfalfa under Ger
tain conditions is also very valuable
and in growing either OF these crops
Tor feeding dairy or other stock the
farmer Is not only growing his OWL
protein feed, but he is adding nitrogen
to the soil.