Mexico weekly ledger., 1910-07-28
STOCK NEWS.
MORE COWPEAs BEING
RAISED N AUDRAIA
COUNTY EVERY YEAR

While quite a number have plant
ed cowDels in Audrabn county this
year, not as large an acreage has
been put IN as intended because of
the increase In price of cowpeas seed
Several years ago Ct was $3.50 a blu.
but the increased demand for them
in the South rs credited with bring.
ing the price up to "a a bu.
Cowpeas Is a crop which will I'M
doubtedly become of much greater
Importance as the land Is farmed
more intensively. The great value of
cowpeuus as a feed and as a soil rem
oyating crop should give theme more
important place in Missouri agricnl-
ture. The short period OF growth
also makes it possible TO use them
to great advantage as a catch crop
between the regular crops in the TO
tation, either for hay, for pasture, or
for turning under. They are, there
fore, especially suited to the man
who wishes to build up land rapidly
while he is at the same time getting
a return from 1t in feed.
Smoot Bros, OF near CANT, have i'm
cowpeas this year and are meeting
with much success i'm their growing.
Cortez Edmonston will plant them be
tween his corn rows shortly and give
them a trial.
There a wide range i'm the time
at which cowpeas may be sown,
even in the same locality. In Central
Missouri the best time to SOW them
for hay or sede, lis about the first of
June. A mistake is frequently made
in sowing them early i'm May, since
a period of a few cool days after
they are up Is sure to stunt them
and prevent the best growth. The
ground must be warm before they
are put i'm. They may be sown as
late as the first week in July in Cen
tral Missouri while i'm the extreme
southern part of the state. peas
sown the middle of July will usually
give fair results, AS a general rule
they should be sown in most parts OF
the State between the first and the
fifteenth Of June.
Chas. Dean planted five acres o.
cowpeas June 1, using five bushels
of seed. The peas are now knee
high and furnishing. He considers
them the best of stock feed and give
them to all his cattle. He planted
them i'm double rows.
For hay the Whippoorwill, IN
Clay and the New Era varieties arr
commonly used. The New Era is al
early variety and is best where the!
are put in as a catch crop rather lat
Both the Whippoorwial and the New
Era produce a good amount of seed
although the New Era Us usually th'
highest yieher. The Black pea Is
good energal purpose pea resembling
the Mhippoorwin somewhat On chara
ter of growth and in seed production
The Clay is a later Winning vartet.
good for forage but not a heavy see'
producer under Missouri conditions.
jeff Gatewood, NORTH Of down, las
year, raised a crop of cowpeas am
another this year. He considers the1
a very fine stock feed and meet
with great success in raising them.
Cowpeas may be seeded in Oh
corn at the last cultivation or the
may be put DIM the row when the cor
is planted. In the first case, they ar
best drilled i'm with a one horse dri
at the rate of two or three pack
per acre when the corn is laid by. I
be sure of a stand it is best to la
by the corn a few days arher tina
S usual. They may be broadcasted an
3 plowed i'm but this method is not s
a sure of securing a stand as lis tn
method of drilling them.
9 Where planted fun the row "a
best plan is TO s a special cowpe
q planting attachment ON the COZ
planter. These attachments are mo
on the market In this case, a ga
n lon and a half OF peas should l
used. The difficulty in putting pei
A in the row is that corn is usual
' planted about two weeks before
\ is entirely safe to SOW peas. T n
plan is very commonly practhce
Q however. Peas planted In this WI
n will make more seed than where tn
n are soon at the last cultivation ar
n are especially valuable for hog pa
trre. Many men find it very profit
d BILE to hog down both corn and pea
n The New Era or Whippoorwdll '
T. rieties may be used where they are
Al be hogged down or a Winning varle
av which will twine about the Stal
q. may be used and both corn and pc
a cut with aScorn planter.