Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-06-04
Agricultural Help
Handling Cowpea Crops.

| Almost all farmers know the value
of cowpeas for enriching the soil, yet
many do not grow them as extensive
| ly as they would because of difficulty
of curing. Cowpeas are one of the
| most difficult crops To cure perfectly
| If handled as ordinary hay. Yet,
with proper methods of culipg they
may be made one of the best feeds
| that can he grown.
Owing to large proportions of
moisture in their thick stems cowpeas
require several days of Favorable
weather for completely drying out. II
they are mown and allowed TO lie OF,
the ground in the swath till they have
completely dried out, the leaves may
become so withered rs To shatter OH
and be wasted, or rains may badly
damage them. Raking up and curing
in NindroWs would be ideal If the Wind
rows could lie in the field for week
without rain. But there is always dam
ger of damage by rain either when left
in the swath OF windrow.
Some of the most successful growers
of coWpeas fiLd that caring in small
cocks in the field is the only sure and
successful way of curing this valuable
crop without loss. WhVa cowpeas are
TO be used for hay, the@ are mown
when about one-half of the pods are
rine. The rake follows the mower
either Immediately or an hour or two
behind The mower is not started Ill
the morning till all outside moisture is
off the vines. All of the crop Is rakea
mn and in the windrow before night.
If there seems 10 be any danger OF
rain the peas are placed N small COCKS
,ho same day. otherwise they may He
tiu the following day. The cocks are
Mill narrow and high, and are allow
Oh 10 stand liz the field without any
,i.tnrbanee for from one to two weeks,
ar fill the hay is completely cnftc. n"
atte,,ion is paid to rain or other
weather conditions. II the cocks are
built we'll. rains will not damage theh.
They should never be made Wide ana
larne In this way they will cure eut
IN any kind of weather, ana can De
handled without loss of leaves
tsnwpeas. cured out in the heia IN
.,oau cocks are as bright and green AS
Grass. and are choice feed ior s'och, III
sto,aoeA in the NOV They Sc through a
.aeond mild curing, coming out IN VIII
-. :, uniform green and With hne aro-
~ .bout the only precaution Is 10
handle them for storage Win no
nal moisture They can pc cut an"
cured with the above method u"iiis
wet season when the ground Is 50 We
ans soft that it will scarcely bear up
team and mower ...,s
pairymen in all large dairy regions
end cowpeas. or cowpea hay. to be the
navt and richest feed that can ne useo.
rbe vines and leaves, exclusive Oh pees
ore eaual to alfalfa hay. Whlle WIN u,
mods and seeds they are ficnei 9i"
',,o,e valuable. Cowlea hay. contaihias
mods and seed, is both hay ana etaii, ~
h. game feed. The hay. containing
s,ooa proportion of seed, is perhaps %
,,ar cent richer and more Haluapie IMAM
clever or alfalfa. Wien clover OF 'iia.-
"a fs worth. say, $40 ton, gee" eoNi'e'
49, is worth. perhaps. $50 a ton
There is no better feed for pFoao'slhs
,,,i,eh COWS than good nntnreshea COW
no, hay. With ii and corn, niue OF NJ
a,har feed need be purchased to make
a fairly well-balanced ration Tor me
cows. With silage ground corn, ea'
eut as hay, and good cowfea nay, ti.e
doirvman can produce an abundance
If milk without the purchasing oil any