Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-04-06

EOWDe1-
mated in India, has been known and
rr,ItIvate5 IN some sections OF the south
FOR more than IFS years. Tradition
saws it was FIRST brought to Georgia by
the early English colOnists- Like many
other useful plants. its origin and his
tory are shrouded I'm mystery, fact
which makes but little difference TO
the present generation. Doubtless the
early settlers, whose motto was ever
westward. carried the seed OF this won
derful plant with them on their pioneer
ing expeditions into distant sections OF
the country. At least in the course OF
a few years II has spread all over the
south. Its value as a human food was
early recognized. though the apprecia-
ton OF it's qualities as a fertilizer and
forage crop were not fully understood
until within comparatively recent times.
Even today its virtues are only oecom-
ing generally known
The census report OF 1900 shows that
TTI.0Is acres were cultivated In cow
peas in twelve southern states in 1889
The total yield Of grain was s.s1s,S0o
bushels, or SIS bushels per acre. In
the last decade the area under cultiVa-
tion Increased by 275-2 per cent These
figures indicate that the plant has come
20 be a general favOrite within the
last few years. because IL makes such
an admirable substitute for red clover
. ana is adapted for use in such variety
OF ways. In fact, IL has been aptly
termed the red clover OF the south,
though this is a misnomer, because II
grows successfully in the great west
at the present time and Is rapidly
marching northward. following closely
IN the footsteps Of that most remark
able OF cereals, Indian corn From
wuwFfN only ha a few
years until the cowpea viii be extern
Eively cultivated north Of the Ohio
river II is simply a question OF care
fuI seed selection and judicious treat
ment until the pant becomes thorough
IL accIimated- and then IL can be grown
there with the same success as attends
its culture further south
The cowpea, which is known botanic
ally as VigDa sinensts, belongs 20 the
ieguminosas family. and is therefore
closely akin to the clovers. vetchess
beans. peas, etc It's common name is
a rnisnomer, due TO local usage, for II
is rather a bean than a pea Its chief
value centers in the possession OF the
peculiar traits Characteristic OF the
lexumfnosae family, one OF these being
the ability 10 gather atmospheric nitro
gen and store II in the leaves and grain
II accomplishes this through little
nodules growing on the roots and In
which certain forms OF bacteria live
which have the power Of assimilating
atmoSpherfc nitrogen Observe that in
some sections and on certain fields the
cowpea does not seem to thrive well II
some OF the plants are pulled up and
the roots examined, a very few small
nodules will be observed and some
times they are entirely absent
In q field OF vigorous growing peas the
nodules will be found TO be numerous
and large, showing the important func-
lions they perform in the economy OF the
plant. On land where the cOvpeas does
not do well when first down, there are
none Of the bacteria which enable II to
nssimfIate the needed atmospheric nitro
gen and 50 the growth Is dwarfed- The
difncuity may be overcome by coating the
land well with farnyard manure. by the
direct application OF nitrogen, or by inoc-
uIating the soil by drawing several loads
OF earth from a field on which cowpeas
have been successfully grown and scat
tering over the surface. thus supplying
the soil with the needed bacteria This Is
an important matter. for some persons
have experienced a good deal Of trouble
when they first attempted the cultivation
OF the pea and have never understood
the reason why.
The foregoing explains the farmers in
terest in the cowpea. as It is, frst, a
cheap medium Of supplying nitrogen "a
the soil through the green crop plowec
under; and second. IL furnishes a hay
particularly rich in protein TO balanes
up the abundant roughness produced on
the average farm These are important
matters for applications OF nitrogen
especially when associated with vege-
table matter. are a market benefit e
nearly al soils. The farmer can rarely
: afford to make the heavy application OF
nitrogen because Of the cheapness Of his
products and the high price OF the fer
tflizer. which now sells for Is cents q
mound. But he can AFFORD to utilize the
cowpea for that purpose because he gets
atmospheric nitrogen for nothing through
a wise provision OF nature
In feeding any class Of live stock thu
probIem Is 10 secure a balanced ration
that Is. one In which the carbohydrates
which produce fat. and the protein
which produces flesh or muscle, etc, vii
be in the right proportion TO give the lar
gest growth or gain at the least outlay
OF animal energy and at a minimum cos
Of food. The rough forage crops. which
are rich in carbohydrates or fat formers
are the easiest and cheapest to grow
while the protein-producing crops have
hitherto been the most difficult and ex
pensive TO produce The more genera