The Brinkley argus., 1916-04-28
FORAGE CROPS E0RARKANsAs


 No. 6. cewpeas and Soy 5eans. By Earl Fitzpatrick, Extension Agro-
 nomist, University of Arkansas.
 Tho native home of the soy bean and the cowpea is probably central Africa, but both of them have become important crops in many portions or the world, and especially in the cot ton belt of the United States. The seed are used for food for both man and beast, while the vines make splendid pasture or hay.
 The uses of the plants are nearly the same, so that at times 1t is . question which one should be used. Although there are many varieties of each which vary great deal, soy beans and cowpeas may be compared In general way. Soy beans grow upright, do not have the yining habit. and mature their seed at about the same time, while many of the cow peas form vines on the ground, tan gle up so that handling is hard. and ripen some seed while blossoms are still forming for other pods. Soy beans withstand frostAnd dry weath- sr somewhat better, and when cut late can be cured for hay more readily because the steam does not contain so much moisture. Cowpeas are adapted to a wider type of soils, arc likely to make more rapid growth on a poor soil, and will shade the ground better and keep down the weeds to greater degree than soy beans will. Where soy beans are grown for the first time inoculation of the soil Is Of ten necessary. which is not true Of the cowpea. Soy beans are usually heavy seed producers, and, although they pop out badly when ripe. they will lay on the ground for long time without growing. and may be picked up by grazing hogs.
 There are many varieties of cow peas, but only a few are grown ex- tensively, among which are Whippoor- will, New Era. Iron. Brabham. Clay, Red Ripper and Buckeye. The Iron and Brabham are resistant to wilt and to root-knot, and should be grown where these diseases are prevalent Among the soy beans, the ones most commonly handled in a commercial way are the Ito San, Medium Yellow, Haberlandt, Hollybrook and Nam moth Yellow, although there are sew eral other splendid varieties. The little Ito San is extremely early, ma turing seed in about seventy-five days. The Mammoth Yellow Is the latest of them all, but will mature seed if not planted too late in the summer. The method of planting these crops depends upon the use that is to be made of them. For pasturing of they may be planted in the corn row at the second working, by broadcasting pr drilling between the rows at the last working. or by making the rows of corn wide apart and planting a row of cowpeas or soy beans between them. The yield of corn is not dc. creased much. if any. and the addi- tional pasture is source of profit When seeded alone. soy beans should be planted in rows and cultivated while cowpeas will shade the ground sufficiently to keep down the weeds Sorghum is often mixed with cowpeas especially for hay and for grazing; but if cut for hay care must be taken to use varieties of each that will be ready to harvest at about the same time-for example, the New Era COW pea and the Amber sorghum. The usual rate of seeding cowpeas and soy beans is about a peck to the acre ir rows, or bushel when broadcasted or drilled thickly. although the amount may be a little lighter fol those varieties that have the smaller seeds.
 One or both of the crops should be grown on every farm in the South because they are not only profitable from feed standpoint. but they pla, big part in keeping up the fertility of the soil. For every ton, dr, weight, or crop grown on average sol at least $500 worth of nitrogen will be taken from the air and stored uI in the soil and the plant, or as mucf as would be added in 1900 pounds o ordinary S-2-2 fertilizer.
 Tests show that the roots of these plants constitute only about 10 pei cent of the whole. so that the great est amount of fertility can be secured only by pasturing them off on tho soil. by turning them under. or by feeding and returning the manure. 4 relatively small amount of vegetable matter will be left in the soil if tht crop Is cut for hay and removed.
 Too much care cannot be taken il |