The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-05-06
CULTIVATE CoWPEAs.
This Advice Given in Bulletin
From Experiment Station.

Especial to The -Dlspatcli)
BLACKSBUIaG. yA., May 5.-Press bull
letin No. II, Just Issued from the Vir-
rl,,ia Experiment station, treats Of COW
i,cus and suggests that they be more
largely cultivated. 1t SAYS
If The cowpea belongs to the 1egul1ll-
rosae family and is close kin to the
We tch, peas, beans, etc. Like all le-
s,yrnes It has the power Of gathering at
lnospheric nitrogen through the bacte-
ria which live In the nodules on It's roots
IL Is therefore one OF the best SOIL I'M
proving crop known. and It's cultiva-
ton cannot be too strongly urged on
our farmers for 1t provides a hay OF
excellent quality which can often be
rcd ms a substitute for a part OF the
wheat bran, corn or oats 80 commonly
fed TO beef and dairy cattle, thus re-
ducing the cost of making a salion OF
milk or q pound OF beef as the case may
be.
The land for cowpcas should be care
fully prepared and we'll fertilized though
II is seldom necessary to supply nitro
pcn. When incubation Is advisable an
artificial culture may be USED, or w 70
600 pounds OF soil from field Wnere
cowpeas have grown success,unS uelot g.
200 pounds Of high grade. acid phosphate.
3bnssic Stag, or 300 pounds Of bone meal
with 200 to 300 pounds OF unleached WOO
4 shes or 30 pounds Of murlate orc sui
nhate OF potash will make good APP
ulication OF fertilizer to use on coWpeas.
The cow'pea is adapted to great w
riety OF soils and II the seed is obtaineu
from local sources It thrlves We" wen lt = ~.
Tie costal plain to an elevation OF 2'oo0
feet above sea level. Cowpeas may be
hroaf1caster or sown In drills "a inches
anart by stopping UP two out OF every
three tubes on an ordinary grain driil
When drilled use from three pecks 70
n bushel per acre, and Wnen or Ia
casted from bushel ana q na el1s - - :" :
bushels,
Some OF the best varieties of cow'peas
~ grow, are Farren's Extra Early, New
Era r. yYhtppoorwill Lady, Red Ripper,
4 rrouder. Black, Iron. Clay and Wonder
III or Unknown. The New Era, Black,
CLAY and whippoorwlll are among the
best varieties to grow FOR SEED: COW ,l
nens will Yield from 10 to @ bushels
~ vraIn per acre and from IL to 3 -
IONS OF hay. The feeding value OF Wen
cured coYpea hay cannot be emphasized
for, strongly and the grain Is valuable
a.. an adjunct in feeding beef and dairy
cattle and swine. The high price OF
the grain has prevented It's general use
for this purpose
The value OF the cowpea crop as
Green manure lies in the fact that u
Win gather from Is to rs pounds OF nj
t,ogen per acre from the air BY ploW-
ing under the entire crop as much as
$500 worth Of nitrogen can be ADDED
to an acre OF land. crop OF coWpeas
il properly plowed under VIII MOI sour our
condition wonderfully and increase us
crop Welding capacity. The Increase so ,n
times amounts to 10 bushels OF wheat
and 20 TO Is bushels of corn In the
dark tobacco belt cowpcas can De
brought into the rotation and used 1or
soil building purposes with m ar. ,r az,
vantage. Cowpea hay Will cost from
s,so to 500 per ton and will bring from
s1s N 10 $500 ton on most markets
Cowpeas can be utilized for grazing by
hops and cattle with most satisfactory
results They can also be grown with
corn and sorghum for sllage purposes.
Why not utilize this valuable crop
more generally. r,-
Dean and Director