ABOUT COW PEAS

New Zealand Mail, 22 January 1902, Page 54

ABOUT COW PEAS

To got at some idea of the merits, or otherwise, of this much published f >dder plant, in America, the “Rural New Yorker” has adopted the plan of inviting statements from the farmers of various localities as to their experiences. Amongst tlie letters received is one from tho warm latitude of Ohio, in which the writer says:—

“With this we send a photo of a .single plant of the Black Renovator cow pea, which grew on our farm the past season. This plant completely covered a circle of 12 feet in diameter. Last year the Black Renovator matured seed on this same ground. Cow peas with us have come to stay. It was formerly claimed that this plant was of doubtful value this far north, but our experience has proven this an error. We have grown chiefly the Early Black, but have aiso tried other varieties, notably Warren's early and Renovator. On the whole, the early Black gives as good growth of vines as any. Besides, the seed is much cheaper to buy and much easier to shell, if we save our own seed. With us all the varieties mentioned matured seed in 1900. In the season of 1900 we sowed a bushel of Early Black on 1J acre of thin land, which had been in grass for a number of years. The ground was ploughed and fitted during the second week of tho midsummer month, and (lie seed drilled in with a nine-hoe grain drill, running three lioe.s, this making the rows wide enough to admit of cultL vation. Twice during the season wo went through them, once to the row with the Planet Jr. 12-tooth cultivator. At the last cultivation we sowed a nlot with Crimson clover, a plot with turnips and one with oats. The grasshoppers destroyed the clover, and the growth of vines smothered out the turnips and oats. These peas ripened a full crop of seed. We saved enough for our own, sowing, and left the remainder on the field—not the most economical thing to do. Early in the spring of 1901 we ploughed the vines under and planted potatoes. The soil was noticeably of a darker colour and in finer physical condition where the peas grew. We applied several loads of good farm yard manure along one side, and bordering on the plot, where the cow peas grew. Ginpotato field extended clear across both the cow pea and manured plots. The potato crop was slightly better upon the manured portion. Tho potatoes ripened several days earlier upon the portion which had been in peas. The tops of tho potatoes were a darker green where we used the cow peas. As the matter appears to us now, wo made the following mistakes in this experiment: We dul not use enough seed; we should have used acid phosphate and potash in ii ie drill when sowing; we should have saved the crop of seed; the vines should have been ploughed under and I ho ground sown with rye in the autumn. The past season we ploughed and prepared three acres for cow peas, this time turning under a liberal growth of grass and weeds. The peas were sown at the same date, and in tho same manner as above described, except that we used 1001 b per acre of high grade complete fertiliser. We cultivated them three times. The growth was satisfactory, and those vines will be ploughed under, and ryo sown, together with as much

ground lime as the drill will apply. This land is intended for potatoes next season. Our method in the future will bo to mow a portion of the grass land, say early in midsummer, and sow with cow peas, using a small quantity or chemicals; as soon as the vines are frosted, plough under and seed to rye, using lime, the rye to be turned under the next spring for potatoes. Soy beans liavo promise with us. We shall try sowing a mixture of cow peas and Soy beans next season. In theory, tuns seems to us an ideal method ; how it ill work out in practice remains to be ascertained.”

“I sowed cow peas in a worn out pas-, turc—light, sandy soil, in autumn,” writes another correspondent from Massachusetts. “After several severe frosts, I ploughed in the peas —a light crop—and sowed rye. In the following spring tho rye was ploughed in and maize planted, with no manure to speak of. The result was a crop of maize which was a surprise, considering the soil, due to the peas. These were the Black. Since then I have sown cow peas every year, for green manuring and fodder, with good results, using the Whippoorwiil, which is smaller, earlier, and makes a better growth than the Black. This variety readily manures. During the season just closed I tested another variety, the Warren, which is three weeks earlier, and does not make as largo a crop. For green manuring there is an advantage in having the crop nearly matured, as it is then much richer. If not matured, they should he well frosted or cut and partially dried before turning in, as there is danger of souring the soil by turning in too large a mass of very green matter, requiring lime as a remedy. C'ow peas, which are really not peas but beans, must not be sown until it is safe to plant maize. On good soil they make a tremendous amount of green fodder, which is good feed until after frosts. If cut off early, they make a lighter second growth. They produce a large mass of roots, which with he coarse stems and tho pods and beans, are rich in nitrogen, and excellent food for the soil, t.nd (except the roots) for the cows. Some cows must learn to like them, but this they will do if mixed with other green feed which they like. If they are pastured, cows eat the leaves and tender tops, leaving the coarse stems and roots for fertiliser and humus in the soil. .After hay making you can sow the Whippoorwill in this region, where you have no severe frosts until mid-autumn, obtain a large quantity of green feed, and have left also a large mass of roots and stems for fertiliser. If the land is ..ploughed again, and rye sown as a cover crop, and to prevent waste of nitrogen, it is in good condition for the spring crop, without manure. If manured, so much tho better. If the vines are iot ploughed in, much of tlieir nitrogen is lost during the winter. I have found them especially adapted to sandy sml, but they also do well in clay, especially if sown in rows and cultivated. But for building up and renovating worn out soils, there is nothing like them, so far as my experience goes. They will grow on soil so poor as to be unable to raise anything else. I have always sown them alone, not with other crops.”