The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1912-03-28

with the ordinary mower. There il
a device on the market, however
consisting of large teeth, which art
fastened on to the cutterbar, and pro
ject out ahead for several inches fol
the purpose of lifting up the cowpes
vines and allowing the cutterbar tt
run under. 1t is usually necessary te
use this device on rowed peas if the
harvesting is to be done with any de-
gree of satisfaction.
Peas are frequently drilled with the
corn planter, straddling every other
row, double rowing" as it is called.
This places the rows from twenty to
twenty-five inches apart, depending
upon the width of the corn planter.
On soils that are exceptionally clean
and where the planting is done rather
late, so that there is little danger of
weeds, this practice works fairly
we'll, but peas planted with rows so
close together can not be cultivated
with any degree of satisfaction. In
the first place, it is impossible to
drive straight enough to keep the
rows the same distance apart, and I'M
less one uses narrow gang cultivator
some of the peas will be plowed up.
In the second place, the wheels of
the cultivator usually run on two
rows, while the third one is being
cultivated, and this is considerable
injury to the plants. In certain sec
tons, cowpeas are put in this way,
given about one cultivation and then
the crab grass is allowed to grow,
giving mixed hay of cowpeas and
crab grass, which is not bad combi-
nation for wintering cattle.
There is one precaution to be used
in cultivating cowpeas, and that is to
avoid cultivation when the dew is on.
When the soil is thrown against the
damp cowpea vines, it adheres and
encourages the development of
fungus disease, which does consider
able injury to the plant.
Another method which is frequent
ly used for putting the cowpeas in
rows is to take an ordinary grain drill
and close all but two or three of the
cups, thus placing the rows 80 or
more inches apart. This is satisfac-
tory, as rule, where one wishes to
cultivate them. As matter of fact
thirty inches is about the right dis
lance to plant cowpeas in rows where
cultivation is to be given, and this can
only be secured by the use of grain
drill in this way or by a one-horse
single row drill, or by remodeling
corn planter and setting the shoes at
this distance.
The broadcasting of cowpeas is
method commonly practiced in some
parts of south Missouri where peas
are especially adapted. but this is
wasteful method for the central and
northern sections of the State, and
even for most parts of the south third.
Experiments at the Experiment Sta
ton have shown that it is only on ex-
ceptionally favorable seasons when
broadcasting is equal to drilling.
There is too great waste of seed
where broadcasting is practiced, and
an entire failure will re-
suit. 1t is usually necessary to allow
about one-fourth more seed than
where they are drilled.
Where cowpeas are handled for
seed they should not be planted quite
so thick, as rule, as where they are
handled purely for hay, but the sea
son; the soil and the variety, have
great deal more to do with the yield
Of peas than does the thickness of
planting. As a matter of fact, in
the sections of Southeast Missouri,
where peas are grown so extensively
Tor seed, they are usually put in with
1 grain drill at the rate of three or
our pecks per acre. AS general
proposition, on the upland of Missouri,
where one wishes a good growth of
,ods, it is best to select land a little
,elow the average in fertility, and
llso select varieties like the New Era,
Nhippoorwill or Black, which are
Znown to be good seed producers.
n ordinary practice, one will find it
desirable to sow the peas with the
dea of securing hay and then thresh
'nly on those seasons or those soils
m which the yield of peas warrants