Cottonwood report. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1893-1901, 1896-03-06
THE METHOD OF PLANTING
State Aid in the Building OF Oooo hohaS
The Irrigation of Straw
berries.

During the drouth Of the past sea-
son, with hay so short CROP many
have turned their attention more imam
ever to what we term emergency
CROPS" Something to take the place OF
the hay they did not get, says the WIS
consln Agriculturist. Some sowea
millet,, others sowed fodder corn, while
occasionally one is heard of who tried
his luck with the soy bean. Though
not much used as yet, among Michigan
farmers / believe it is coming, ana
coming to stay, says the Detroit Trib-
une.
Some have tried it on small scale,
but we look for it to become the favor-
lite fodder plant when better known.
Concerning it's merits and its origin the
American Cultivator says: 1T is at
tracing much attention lately among
scientific men and progressive farmers
as fodder crop. 1t grows readily and
yields a good crop, being very prolific
of pod and bean. The experiment sta
lions have tested 1t in many states,
and. so far as we have seen, all have
reported very favorably upon its mer-
it's" The Massachusetts, experiment
exceeds in cases out Of vetch and
oats as green fodder, and these COM
pare well with a good rowen, which
leads English hay for milk production.
Their analysis shows the whole plant
to be very rich in protein, and in fat
containing nearly double the amount
of fat found in any of the usual fodder
crops, whether fed green, cured as hay,
or preserved in the silo, while the bean
alone, when ground, contains nearly
four times as much protein, and a little
more nitrogen and almost double the
fat of cotton seed meal. This being the
case, it is likely to prove very de-
sirable acquisition to our fodder crops,
and description Of 1t must be of in
terest to farmers and dairymen.
The plant is native of China or ia
pan, and there are many varieties diff
fering in growth and color Of beans,
and while some have preferred the
larger and taller kinds, a large-seed ed
dwarf kind growing about two feet
high, is said to be most productive in
a given area, and would probably prove
the most reliable in ripening in north
ern climate. 1t will grow wherever the
ordinary garden bean grows, but is per-
haps more susceptible to frost when
small. At Amherst it was planted in
May (23) and came up June 2, bloom
ing August 9. 1t stood the drouth well.
The habit Of growth is much like that
OF the ordinary kidney bean, produces
pods abundantly, each pod containing
three or four beans. The earliest bea ms
are ripe in about three months after
planting, and where the season is long
enough it may continue to bloom and
Ia foY txxrp ha fhIIo ron11fT
ing about five months from planting tt
ripen all the beans.
They need a moderately light, well
drained soil, rich in vegetable matter
Ether stable manures, well rotted, OIL
n commercial fertilizers give good results
but green manure causes a rank growth
of plants, with a less amount of beans
One method of planting Is to put thu
seed in drills Is inches apart in tn
n row, or 10, AGO plants to the acre. Or i
may be in drills farther apart, to ALLOW
n cultivation between the rows whel
small. Plant about ali inch deep. The.
do not need much cultivation, as whel
they are six inches high or a littl
more they shade the ground and kee
down the weeds. When grown prln
cipally as a forage crop they may b
sown broadcast, using seed more free
ly or about one bean to the squar
# foot.
To feed green they should be GU
while in blossom or while the earlies
pods are small. To make good hay, GU
while the pods are we'll formed but ye
green. If the pods are picked off whe
ripe the straw is very fair fodde
though when too ripe it has lost niue
of it's feeding value, that having gor
& to the formation of the bean. Gait
are usually very fond Of the hay, pa
ticularly when cut early. If the see
is allowed to ripen they may be ha
vested by cutting or pulling and drie
in the sun like the ordinary field bea
Dairymen will do well to try few
these beans, and for a year or tv
there will probably be demand f
the seed. Seed grown here is said
be equally as good as the importC
seed.