Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-04-20

AS green manure the COhpt1 u NnSAA
passed because OF its adaptability for
growth over such a large part OF the
country, and it's utility as catch crop.
The cowpea can be grown after a win
ter cereal has come OF the land, and
will then furnish an abundance OF green
manure for one or two succeeding wheat
crops Another marked advantage Is the
rapidly with which II decays when prop
erly incorporated with the soil. its great
est benefit as a rule coming the nrst
year after il Is plOwed down. though the
influence is marked for from one to three
years. Besides storing a large amount
OF nitrogen in the soil, IL provides con-
siderable amount Of humus, the most nee
essary element OF fertility; the one which
the average farm soil needs most.
There are those who object to using the
cowpea as a green manure. maintaining
that Il should always be fed or pastured
ON the land Their objection Is well taken,
and IL II were possible TO so utilize the
crop. Il would be a decided advantage
to do So but with the problem Of an ex-
hRusted soil staring the farmer in the
face and without live stock or other
means TO enrich his land at a cost which
he can aftord. Il Is useless to always be
talking about feeding or pasturing on the
crop. There iE q time when IL viii pay
and paw handsomely to use the cowpea
pose OF revitaIIEfng an exhausted soil.
There are persons who object to the
use OF the cowpea for green manuring,
maintaining that II viii sour the land
When this occurs II is certainly due 10
acknowledgement. for II intellgently han
died, Il win neither sour or fire-fang and
dry out the land. II one proposes TO plOw
under the cowpeas he must go about IL
IN . rational manner and then no difficulty
win be experienced. Whenever IL Is deem
ed advisable to enrich the land by plow-
ing under a crop OF cowpeas. In the
south especially Il would be much bet
ter II the land could be fall plowed the
previous year. and the peas seeded early,
so that a crop OF hay can be removed
about the first Of August The land would
then produce a crop worth from so to 80
per acre. and still there would be SUM-
cient aftermath develop to plow under
about the first OF October. the object
being 10 seed the land to wheat or any
other winter growing cereal that might
be desired II q becomes necessary to
pillow under what may be termed the first
crop. care should be taken 20 let IL par
tally mature and evaporate part Of the
water the pea crop ordinarily contains
when ready 70 cut for hay and in about
the right condition 10 plow down II an
attempt Is made TO plow under very
rank growth Of vines containing some
$500 pounds OF water per acre at a time
when the land is saturated with moisture
or In very warm weather. IL Is easy to
see how the soil might occasionally be
soured because the land could not digest
and assimiiate so much green matter fer
ulsnting as rapidly as Il probably would
al that season OF the year. BY letting the
crop more nearly mature and waiting
until a more favorable season to pillow
under. these dangers can be avoided
There Is comparatively little danger in
blowing under second crop late In Sep
tenber. nor Is the weather so warm.
II dif7culty Is experienced in covering
the mass OF vines. first run over the land
with a roller and follow with a disk. On
an ordinary crop the disk will be SUM-
Gent. thus saving the labor OF rolling.
Then II a heavy chain Is attached to the
end OF the whifhetree and fastened to the
Golfer. II win drag the vines into the
furrow. II is always preferable to use
rolling Golfer on the pillow I'm turning under
cowpeas Immediately after blowing the
peas under whether Il be first or second
crop. follow with a roller and then with
a harrow. The reason for rolling is very
important and easy TO understand Wa
ter moves the soil by means OF the capl-
larry channels OF pores which result from
the soils being composed Of little par
ticles OF rock which do not pack closely
together.
Naturally the finer the particles and the
smaller the pores, the greater the force
Of the capillary movement viii be. Now,
IL eight inches of soil are inverted and
lifted away from the subsofl by means
Of a great mass OF vines, the capillary
movement OF soil water towards the sur
face is seriously disturbed and may even
be destroyed. II the land is Immediately
gone over with a heavy roller and the
larry movement Is re-established and suf-
fcient water IS brought up and in contact
with the vines 10 insure rapid fermen-
tation and prevent any fear OF ire-fang.
AS rolling re-establishes capillarity with
the surface. Il is necessary that a har-
row follow the roller 10 preserve a dust
mulch and check the escape Of moisture
and aid in the process OF fermentation. II
the land IS not rolled and narrowed imme-
distely after blowing. the surface soil
dries out and the pea vines ire-fang.
and especially would this be likely 10
occur II the crop were plowed under
during the summer months This then
is the philosophy OF blowing under cow
peas. explaining satisfactorily the most
serious difficulty met with in utilizing the
crop as green manure II difficAty Is ex-
perienced from blowing under a crop, IL
viii surely arise from failure TO OBJ
serve some Of these points One special
advantage OF the cOwpea as green ma
nure is because OF the rapidly with which
II ferments and renders available its food
supplies for the succeeding crop when
properly managed
The cowpea produces from 90 TO 1Ol
pounds OF nitrogen per acre depending
on the conditions under which il is
grown. When ready TO cut for hay about
ore-third OF the dry weight and Of the
nitrogen is contained in the leaves. roots
and stubble- Two-thirds OF the nitrogen is
thus contained in the vines and leaves
and by far the larger portion in the
leaves IL is well for the farmers to
bear this in mind for many OF them be-
lieve that the nitrogen Is practically all
in the nOdules on the roots. The fertiIiz-
inG effects Of the stubble Of cowpeas Is
practically all obtained the first year,
when the vines are plowed under the eff
feet Is perceptible through two or three
years. though the first and second crops
give the largest increase. The value o.
the cowpess as a green manure after
wheat has already been mentioned. At
the Alabama station blowing down the