Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-05-23

Getting the Most Out of Cowpeas
The cowpea has long been recog-
nlzed as one of our most valuable
crops. 1t has an ancient lineage,
having been cultivated for
food in Asia and Africa for many
years. The virtues of this crop are
more or less familiar to every south
ern farmer, as there is hardly a
homestead on which it is not. cult
waited to some extent. Its impor-
lance is destined to become greater
raVageS which the boil weevil has
made in our cotton crop, and to
the fact that cowpeas may be made
70 take the place Of cotton crop
with considerable advantage in many
localities.
This crop also serves a useful pur-
pose in enriching our land because
or its inherent power under normal
conditions to gather a part of the
nitrogen it needs out of the mex
haustible supply Of the atmosphere.
1t is valuable crop for the enrich
ment of the land on that account.
1t is one Of the best of our catch
crops as well. 1t can be seeded
during several months and still
reach maturity in our unusually
long summer seasons of growth. 1t
Is one of the best crops we can use
In the summer time to cover the
land and prevent erosion. There are
lew better crops to grow in combina-
ton with corn. 1t may be planted
after any of the cereals have been
harvested with success and profit.
he 70 Mt a n
orchard. It is a crop we'll adapted
for grazing down by hogs and other
classes of live stock. 1t furnishes
valuable grain food to both man and
beast. In our section of the country
1t may be made to take the place in
large measure Of clover. There arc
comparatively few crops, therefore,
which can be utilized so SATISFACTORY
ly for such a variety of purposes.
Cowpeas have not been utilized for
grain as extensively as they should
be. This is in large measure due to
the relative difficulty and expense
of harvesting. Moreover, cowpeas
do not make large yield Of grain
as rule, hence there has been a
tendency to cultivate other crops for
this purpose. There is also an adj
vantage in growing cowpeas due to
the relatively high price of the seed.
The refuse from the crop in the
form of stems and leaves after the
grain has been removed is valuable
as feed for all classes of live stock.
This helps to compensate the land
owner for the relatively low yield of
grain ordinarily obtained
One of the difficulties in harvest
Ing cowpeas for grain is due to the
unevenness with which the crop
ripens. This difficulty may be over
come in a large measure by letting
the crop mature more generally than
is ordinarily done. Certainly har-
vesting should not be undertaken
until one-half to two-thirds of the
pods are mature. No doubt there
will be some loss from shattering,
but this will be more than offset
by the gain in the large percentage
of 1natured seed secured. The cow
pea would have made greater prog
ress undoubtedly if better methods
of harvesting had been discovered
and perfected than are in vogue at
present. On the small farm hand
picking is still resorted to, but labor
costs havo been so high as to mill
tate against the utilization of the
crop. It is, of course, the custom
in many localities to give a part of
the crop for the labor involved in
harvesting. This naturally mini
mics the profits of the landowner
yer ymaterialy.
A method of harvesting cowpeas
which is now followed to some ex-
tent is that of cutting with mower,
raking into windrows and putting
up in small shocks to cure. If hay
caps are used to protect the masses
Of vines thus accumulated, the stems
will dry out satisfactorily and the
grain can be separated therefrom
by running the mass through spe-
cial type of thrashing machine. The
self-rake reaper has given consid-
cradle satisfaction in the harvesting
of cowpeas. On the small farm it
can often be used to advantage. I'm
der. such circumstances the peas can
be failed out, as they shell very
readily, especially when dry. An or
binary grain separator may be used
to thrash coWpeas successfully.
There should be no difficulty, there
fore, in preparing the crop for mar
ket, as many Of these machines are
scattered about over the south, espe-
cially where cereals are grown to
any considerable extent. The pri-
more than 800 to 400 times per min
to obtain a low and even speed of
the cylinder. 1t should not turn over
man than 800 to 400 times per min
ute. The relatively slow movement
of the cylinder lessons the number of
cracked peas, which is an important
matter to consider where the crop
is being handled on the basis Of seed
production.
There was an impression for a long
time that cowpeas would be less dam
aged by the weevil if kept in the
pods until the time of marketing was
at hand. 1t would appear, however,
that the pods open readily when dry
and the weevils find the seed easy to
attack, and that about the same per-
centage of damage will be done to
the seed in the pod as when it is
thrashed and stored. Weevil depre-
dations can be overcome after the
grain has been thrashed by treat.
ing with carbon bisulphide.
CoWpea seed maintain viability
with a fair degree of success. On
the other hand, seed should seldom
be used that are over two years old,
and it is important that the seed so
planted be free from weevil DAM
age. Cowpeas have never been ex-