The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-06-26

minous plants in order to utilize fer
tilizer to good advantage.
I have grown cowpeas and crimson
clover extensively, and as soil improv-
/ crs. as we'll as money and hay crops,
these legumes will do to rely on. We
have frequently sown. the cowpea in
Our corn land at last plowing of corn
and got more money for this crop
than we could out of The corn crop in
which they grew. Three years ago
We sowed 13 bushels Of Whippoowill
peas In 1S acres Of corn land at last
blowing, and picked 130 busnels Of
seed from this sowing besi,aes leaving
many that were down for the hogs.
Those peas were sold at $2.25 per
hushel. bringing $292.5O. The 12O
bushels of corn were worth at that
time $240, leaving $3.50 more money
for the peas than the corn that grew
on the same land was worth. On an
other field We sowed 3-4 bushel Of
peas and IL pounds Of crimson clover
together at last plowing of corn and
picked an average Of nine bushels, OF
peas per acre, besides getting an ex-
ira heavy growth Of crimson clover.
We SOW crimson clover alone in our
corn fields at last plowing. at the rate
of Is to II pounds Of seed per acie.
From this sowing we nearly always
get splendid winter crop for our sell
but after careful experimenting we
have. almost abandoned sowing 1t
alone at .he last plowing OF corn. !, +
How tile Peas Help the Young Clover.
We found by sowing It with cow
peas that. In case clover failed, we
still had one leguminous crop and
could follow with rye just the same.
But when sown with peas we have but
few failures with the clover. 1t is
greatly shaded by the peas and thus
protected while young from the hot
sun and parching winds. Tho decay
Ing pea vines also protect and nour-
ish the clover through the winter sea-
son, We also sow crimson clover, along
after wheat and oat harvest and get
fine results. But here. as in cur corn
land. we get best results when sown
with peas. BY 50 sowing we can cut
the peas for hay and still have the
clover for second hay crop, or to be
turned down for green manure. We
10 the latter. az we get all the hay
we can use from cowpeas. aud it is
better grade Of hay. The cowper
hny is not so good when sovvn with
clover. as one must not SOW over S-4
bnshel of pea seed per acre. There
fore the hay Is coarse.
We find 1t pays to give lard in
tended for peas and crimson clover
TOP dressing Of ESQ to 800 pounds
phosphoric acid per acre. By doing
this we are able to take very thin land
and set heavy crop Of both peas and
clover. We have made many expert
mental tests to see the effects Of turn
Ing in a good growth of pas and Glow
er; and always found the following
crop to Withstand drouth splendiuiy
make very rapid growth, and yield
from 200 to 400 more pounds of seed
cotton to the acre. In one test we
found the wheat yield increased IA
bushels, and on another the corn yield
was increased IL bushels per acre,
where a growth of this kind had been
turned down. We made a test with
potatoes where rank growth of
crimson clover and decaying peavines
| had been turned, and found that we
had only gotten IS bushels more pO-
tatoes per acre, but they were much
smoother, more uniform, and freer
| from scab also.
| Two Great Crops.
| Nothing will equal the cowpea and
crimson clover sown together for
young orchards. This mixture also
makes very valuable poultry pas
ture. We have used both cOwpeas
and crimson clover extensively as cat
tie and hog pasture and find for this
purpose they cannot be excelled. TIC