The Huttig news., 1907-10-19
COWPEA CULTURE.
Bulletin of Conclusions Reached From
 Experiments Made.

3. The feeding value of cowpea hay
 Bulletin No. f3, from the Missouri Experiment Station, is devoted to cow peas, it's culture and value as forage ing summary of conclusions reached from experiments made:
 1. Cowpeas can be grown success fully on all types of Missouri soil and in any section of the state.
 2. As much forage can be produced from cowpeas in so days as red clover will yield in 15 months.
 5. The feeding value of cdmpea hay is fully equal to that of the best red clover and is almost equal to alfalfa.
 f. Cowpeas make an excellent pas ture, especially valuable as supple mentary feed for growing animals, par ticularly hogs.
 ,. In southern Missouri cowpeas May be planted with corn and cut to- gether for silage to good advantage.
 6. The quick maturing habit of the cowpea renders it admirably adapted for sowing as catch crop between the regular crops of the rotation. In the southern half of the state cowpeas may follow wheat or oats and produce a crop for hay or pasture before time for fall seeding. In northern Mis- souri this practice will be successful only in favorable seasons and where an early maturing variety is used.
 '. Where clover is not adapted or frequently fails cowpeas may be sub- stituted, and may be used to improve soil conditions so that clover will catch.
 s. The growing of cowpeas in- creases the productive capacity of the soil by storing and by making avail able plant food.
 9. An improvement in the physical condition of the soil is always noted where cowpeas have grown. The soil becomes more open, friable, more easly worked, holds moisture better and dries out earlier in the spring.
 10 Because of their nitrogen con- tent, heavy growth and rapid maturity, cowpeas are especially well adapted for green manuring.
 II. Varieties of cowpeas differ wide ly in their habits of growth. These vary from an upright, bush-like form to low trailing vines many feet in length Some mature in 60 days,
 F. The variety to be selected for planting depends upon the purpose for which crop is grown and upon the length of the growing season.
 13. The Whippoorwill variety is recommended for the general grower. The New Era is best suited for catch crop or for short growing season.
 IA. Cowpeas respond generously to thorough soil preparation. The seed etl-ssc..Id be given good treatment as that for corn.
 15. When peas are not to be culti' vated four or five pecks of seed per acre will be required; if to be culti- vated, five to eight quarts.
 16. Cultivated peas require less seed, more labor, and the yield is usually but little heavier than when not culti- vated.
 IT, When peas are intended for the main crop, planting should begin not earlier than two weeks after the usual time for corn planting. For catch crop SOW at the earliest date possible after wheat or oats have been cut.
 IS. The vines should be cut for hay ro11 before the leaves begin to fall.
 1e Cowpeas yield from one to four tons of hay per acre and from eight to twenty-five bus.-els of seed.
 20. The average crop of cowpeas has a value not exceeded by that of any other crop in the state, equally well adapted and distributed