Farm and Garden.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 383, 10 September 1903, Page 7

Farm and Garden.

* OEI3INAL ABTfCLBIS. EXPERIENCE WICH COWPtfAS. Sfigp- 1 appears to be a generally expressed Siw opinion that the varieties **&, of cowpeas tho kind kaown as Whippoor will-all things considered—is eupericr to the others. It ia what is known as a'tuaoh pea, and does not produce as ranch vine ad tho other varieties, it matures early and is a heavy yielder of seed, producing about twice as much seed as other varieties, and the seed usually commands a higher price. On account of its early maturing qualities it ia especially uutable for many districts. All those who commence growing cowpef s are recunnended. to grow the Whippoorwill variety, as bung most likely to give satisfactory results. As to manner of sowing there is a groat diif erenoe of opinion. In a general way when the plants are intended for the production of seed, the plants should be somewhat tlijkly in rows about two and a half feet apart. Miny people use a one»hor3o corn planter and cultivate twice and occasiotally three times with a cultivator. It is not considered advisable to grow cowpeas on rich grcund, tu 4 ; preferably on poor soil, as uader turn circumstances there is a great yield of Beed. When cowpeas a?e grown in codj auction with corn, as they are frequently, it is customary to plant for seed, by.dropping three or tour pass between each two hills of corn in advance of the cultivator at the second or third ploughing of the corn. Stibsequont ploughing of the corn supplies all the cultivation necessary for the cowpeas, the seeds of which may be gathered before tho corn. When cowpeas are intended for bay it is customary to sow one bushel per acre with a wheat drill. The proper time to cub the crop for thisjurpose has many different opinions; some people cut the crop just before the pods start to ripen, s > as to save all the leaves, but that plan usually results in a lot of mauldy hay. It is considered best to allow two-thirds of the pods to ripen, and then to cub the crop, rake together and allow the hay to lie in windrows until sufficiently cured, which generally occupies two or three days, and then the crop may be stacked in the place desired. The peas are said to be highly nitrogenous, so much so that they are liable, when taken into the stomach, to act too strongly on the kidneys of some hosjs• some fatal catf.B have been recorded from over-stimulation in that way, but probably they were quite exceptional, and it is possible that there may have been other contributing causes. Formerly it was believed that in order to obtain the greatest value out of the cowpea crop as a fertiliser it was necessary to plough under the vines j but cutting the vines for hay leaves the ground in much better mechanical condition for future crpis, and many people believe that it adds more fertility to the soil, on the theory that the nodules on the roots of the plant gather most of their nitrogen whist the plant is maturing the seed. Mmy people believe that there is nothing better than a crop of cowpeas to precede a crop of wheat; it has been known that one crop of cowpeas has doubled the yield of wheat. It is not considered necessary to plough the land for wheat after cutting the cowpea crop for hay, but that it is sufficient to simply tun a diss harrow over the ground once, following with the smoothing harrow, and then sjw the wheat. Possibly it may be advrsible to caution not to plant cowpeaa on hilly land that is liable tu be washed by rain, because the cowpea crop renders the soil so light and fine that the first heavy rain would probably wash away the soil and plants.