Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-04-15
Pens and Beans.

or beans as field crops. In many of the
more Northern States, and in the Cana
das, they are crops of considerable i'm
portance, and our market is supplied
chiefly from that direction. In the South,
the COW pea which is properly bean, is
grown to a considerable extent as a crop
for green manuring, and for forage.
That these two crops are deserN ing of
more attention from farmers in this lsti-
tude is, at least, quite probable. We
should consider, first, their influence in
IMPROVING THE SOIL.
The effect of growing grain crops, espe-
cially wheat and corn, to the extent COM
monty practiced, often for a succession of
years upon the same soil, is an exhaustion
to serious degree of the heterogeneous
plant food of the soil. The best remedy
for such exhaustion, or, what is of much
greater Importance, the best preventive of
it, is a rotation or alienation with some
or inc TegutnInous crops. The most es-
sential element in a soil for a grain crop
is ammonia, or rather nitrogen, of which
ammonia is chiefly composed. The best
preparatory crop for wheat is, undoubted-
ly, clover, especially a crop of clover
allowed TO go to seed. Next in import
snce may be named other legumi1ous
plants, among which are peas and beans.
These, for the purpose of green manuring,
possess an advantage over clover in being
more quickly grown, three months being
sufficient TO produce an abundant green
crop for blowing under.
The luguminous plants abstract from
the soil larger amount than most other
crops, of potash, phOsphoric acid, lime,
and other mineral matters, and they con-
tain several times more nitrogen than
most other crops. At the same time, dur
ing the growth of these, as has been as
'certained by chemical analysis, large
amount of nitrogenous matter accumulates
in the soil. Hence their great importance
in promoting the fertility of our cultivated
lands. 1t should not be understood that
peas and beans can take the place of
clover to any considerable extent, fornear-
ly every farmer should SOW clover every
year, but in determining their value as
field crops, their importance in the respect
stated should be considered in connection
with their desirable qualities.
In the second place, we should consider
their
VALUE FOR FOOD.
Beans are presumed to be richer in nu-
tritious materials than any other article of
vegetable food. They are especially rich
in the nitratcs, or elements which make
muscles, and in the prosphates, which
furnish food for brains, nerves, and bones
The muscle-making clement in wheat and
other grains is gluten, and this being
located in the grain next to the outer
covering or bran, is largely lost in the
manufacture of fine flour. The muscle
making element in beans is casein, as in
cheese. Gluten is more easily digested
than casein, but the latter is well adap'ed
to strong, healthy persons with good
powers of digestion, such as we should
find among farmers and laboring men.
A mich COW fed upon bean meal will
give very rich milk, and yield a larger
quantity of cheese than from any other
kind of food. A COW fed upon brewers
grains, slops, and the like, will give thin,
watery milk. Hence we may sometimes
err in accusing the milkman of watering
the milk. 1t may be due to the material
from which the cow has TO make it.
Wheat is found, by analysis, to contain
about fourteen and a half per cent. of
muscle making clements, and two per
cent. of food for brains and bones; while
beans contain twenty-four per cent of
muscle-makers, and three and half per
cent of food for brains and bones Two
pounds of beans will therefore help to do
more muscular work than three and half
pounds flour. This Isl the reason why beans
are made to constitute so large q part of
10
same elements in the same proportions
as beans, and are more easily digested.
In the third place, peas and beans are
in another respect
ECONOMICAL TO FARMERS.
The cereal grains, in order TO be readily
available for human food, require to be
ground. The time consumed in going to
mill, and the amount paid to the miller in
toll, detract quite considerably from the
value of these grains for home consump-
ton. On the other hand, peas and beans
constitute nearly sure and abundant crops,
which may be readily and directly con-
verified into human food. This, in many
localities, at least, is quite an important
consideration. There are many farmers
who have to 60 five, ten, or even twenty
miles to mill, and then, perhaps, wait
day or two for their grist.
HINTS ABOUT CULTIVATION.
Peas may be sown quite early in the
spring, as they will bear considerable
frost without injury. They may be sown
broadcast, and ought to be covered two
to four inches deep. This may be done
with the plOw, or better with suitable
cultivator. Oats are frequently sown
with peas to prevent them from falling
down so badly, as well as to obtain an
increased value of product. Oats and
peas ground together make an excellent
feed for horses or any other live stock.
Peas grow rapidly, and soon cover the
ground so well as TO keep down weeds TO
a great extent If harvested, they leave
the ground in excellent condition for seed
ing to wheat or grass. They may be