The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1912-05-23
THE SEEDING Of COWPEAs
WILL YIELD GOOD RETURNS IN
FEED AND BUILD UP LAND.
Prof. M. r. Miller, College of Agri.
culture, University Of
Missouri.

place in Missouri agriculture. The
short period of growth also makes il
possible to use them to great advan
tage as catch crop between the reg
ular crops in the rotation, either for
hay, for pasture, or for turning under
They are, therefore, especially suited
to the man who wishes to build up
land rapidly while he is at the same
time securing returns from it in feed.
The crop is one which will undoubt-
eddy become of much greater impor.
lance in Missouri as the land is
farmed more intensively.
There is wide range in the time
at which cowpeas may be sown, even
in the same locality. In Central Mis-
! souri, the best time to SOW them for
hay or seed is about the first of June.
A mistake is frequently made in SOW
ing them early in May, since period
of few cool days after they are up is
sure to stunt them and prevent the
best growth. The ground should be
warm before they are put in.> They
may be sown as late as the first week
in July in Central Missouri, while in
the extreme southern part of the state
peas sown the middle Of July will usu-
ally give fair results. AS a general
rule they should be sown in most
parts of the state between the first
and fifteenth of June.
The method of seeding peas de-
Ponds upon the use which is to be
made of them. For hay they should,
as rule, be sown with a grain drill
at the rate of four to five pecks per
acre. Some men put in as much as
two bushels, and, while this gives a
finer texture to the hay, it usually re-
duces the amount Of seed formed. On
the other hand, they are often sown
at the rate of three pecks per acre,
but excepting for seed purposes, or on
land particularly adapted to the crop,
such as the lowlands Of Southeast
Missouri, this is rarely enough.
For seed purposes, cowpeas are
est sown somewhat thinner than for
hay, three pecks usually being better
than five. They should not be broad
casted either for hay or for seed on
the uplands of the state. They may
also be soWn for seed with the corn
planter and cultivated making the
rows the same distance apart as for
corn or the rows may be placed at
half the distance of corn rows, by 60
ing over the land twice and straddling
every row In this case it is usually
necessary to take off one shovel on
each gang of six-shovel cultivator,
and if the axle is adjustable to so set
the wheels as to avoid running on
two rows while cultivating a third.
Peas sown at the usual rate for hay
generally make a good yield of seed In
favorable seasons. AS matter of
fact, the yield Of threshed peas de-
ponds not only upon the season. but
also upon the soil and the variety. A
medium to thin soil will produce more
seed than rich soil. and a sandy soil
more than clay soil as rule. Vari-
cites like the New Era, which is early
and which has little tendency to vine,
will yield more peas than later vim
IuS variety ike lHc 1ldy.
Another method of putting in peas
IN rows is by means of a grain drill
where part of the holes are stopped. |
Where every third hole is allowed to
run and care is used in driving, the |
rows can be placed about 80 inches
apart, which is good distance.
Cowpeas may be seeded in the corn
at the last cultivation, or they may be
put in the row when the corn is
planted.
In the first case they are best drilled
In with one-horse drill at the rate
of two or three pecks per acre when
the corn is laid byy-Fe be sufe-ef .
stand, it is best to lay by the corn a
little earlier than usual They may
be broadcasted and plowed in, but this
method is not so sure of securing a
stand as is the method of drilling
them. In drilling 1t is best to remove
the two outer hoes or discs, putting
three rows in each middle.
Where planted in the row, the best
plan is to use a special cowpea plant
Ing attachment on the corn planter.
These attachments are now on the
market. In this case it is usually rec
10 sow such an amount Of
peas that about one and one-half peas
will be dropped for each kernel Of
corn. The difficulty in putting peas
In the row is that corn is usually
planted about two weeks before it is ,
entirely safe to sow cowpeas. This
plan is very commonly practiced, how
ever, although good many men post :
pone the planting of the corn when
,owpeas are to be planted with it.
Peas planted in this way will make
more seed than where they are sown
It the last cultivation, and they are
valuable for hog pasture
The New Era or Whippoorwill varie-
les may be used where they are to be
logged down, although the Black is to
,e preferred If it can be secured.
Where one wishes to cut up the corn
md peas together it is best to use a
lining variety like the Clay, which will
wine about the stalks.
The nlantfng Of meas with the corn