The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1912-05-09
COWPEAS.
Bulletin Mo. State Bosri OF Agriculture.

Bulletin Mo. State Bosri OF Agriculture.
When we see the wonderful plar
food, or fertilizer, as shown by tn
scientific analysis, and the feedin
value of the cowpea, as we test it on
. by feeding to our own farm stock
the wonder is that more farmers ar
not growing them and that those VIII,
are growing them do not grow more
The cowpea is legume, being abl'
to gather free nitrogen from the air
four-fifths of the air being nitrogen
and with the aid of the little bacteria
store its surplus in nodules on the
roots. When the plant finishes its
growth in the late summer or early
fall these nodules evaporate and the
nitrogen is disseminated in the soil,
: making it much richer in that, the
S most costly Of all fertilizers.
I A crop of cowpeas will put in the
soil as much nitrogen and humus in
, ninety days as the clover will in fiji
teen to eighteen months, and at the
same time be giving good yield Of
the very best of hay.
They should not be sown until the
ground gets warm. If soon too early
they are not so apt to come through
we'll, and if they terminate a full
stand the cold, wet weather will re-
tard their growth, causing them to
spot or leaf blight, and if they have
been sown broadcast the weeds and
grass will get the start and choke
them out. They should not be sown
here Gin Southwest Missouri,) earlier
than the last week in May or first
week in June, and can be sown as
late as the middle of July and make
pretty fair crop.
There are quite a number of ways
OF seeding, and each grower has his
own particular mode of sowing and is
making fairly good success. Ihave
tried about all the different plans !
broadcasting, sowing with a wheat
drill, leaving all the flues open; drilling n
by stopping up every other flue, drill \
ling with check rover, doubling the G
rows, drilling with the check rover
and leaving the rows corn-row width i.
"A inches) and cultivating them two
n three times. The last way has '
proven the most successful for me. |
lse an Avery perfection" edge drop
'lanter, planting with the largest
lotched places and setting the gearing h
n the fastest cogs. This drops one
md two peas every two or three r.
inches, taking about one peck of seed
o the acre. After they get up with o.
hree to five leaves, l plow them with
small shovel cultivator. The Sec ia
nd blowing is done when they are
bout knee high and this is done with or
special pair Of scraper plows that l
lade for this work. They are SINH of
r to the cotton scraper of the south he
e eleven inches long by four inches
ide, twisted similar to a twisting ne
novel and fitted with the cultivator or
imble and set screw. | use a six
lovel cultivator but take off the two an
ont shovels and substitute the of
raper plows instead-of course OO
csc plows are rights and lefts-and crt
e peculiar shape of them forces dirt
the center of the row, thus avoiding or;
at killing process that is so annoy inc
when we go to harvest the peas. Sta
le third and last cultivation is done Un
dragging mower wheel between
rows. The mower wheel has pre
nges, or "wings," bolted on the val
mt that draw the dirt to the center, dul
wing the ground perfectly level. isla
These scraper plows are the best
ngs to use in the little corn if the vic
ass gets start, as it will sometimes fin,
during rainy spell; or, if the field sol
'oul with morning glories they can f
handled with the scraper pillow. cut
do not cut my peas until they get TIT
e, as want to thresh them for E
ID, and the hay makes good feed me-
er being threshed. Many complain san
tut not being able to cure them B
hout losing the leaves, which are he
most valuable part of the feed. ablt
hey will rake and shock immedi- vict
ly after the machine and let them
e in the shock, they will find that
y have not only saved the leaves .,..,
they have cured the hay almost and
rroQn &c II xryoc haforo o,,kk:uo r IL