The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-27
The velvet Bean.

There have been so many inquiries lately
in the southern agricultural press regard
ing the velvet bean, that perhaps a few
faces, based on personal experience in
growing it may be of use to some of those
inquiring as TO its merits, writes c. K.
McQuarrie, in the Farmer and Fruit
Grower.
My attention was first called to this
bean about five years ago, while visiting
a neighboring farmer. who had planted a
few of the beans at the base of his wind
mill tower, and the vines at that time were
bidding fair to climb to the very highest
point of the tower / secured some seed
from him later on, but when giving them
to me he cautioned me against planting
them where anything else was 10 grow.
as, like Bermuda grass, they took all the
land in sight When l planted these beans
l put them in amongst some corn, ana
to give them a chance to do well, l topped
the corn above the ear, so that the vines
would have the corn stalks to run on;
and talk about vegetation covering the
ground! l had it then sure enough. l
have never seen anything quite to equal
it. The forage was simply extraordinary.
! cut lot of the vines green and fed
them to the stock and they were very
much rel!shed.
A second growth came up Immediately,
which matured its seed by the end of Oc-
tober q should have mentioned that they
were painted early in Nav. / gathered the
H2ls and left the vines 90 rot where they
grew, and ever since then that piece of
land has produced better crops than for
merly.
The last two seasons have been expert
menting to find out what would prove the
best fertilizers TO use on this crop but
1,
ter, / was working a little in the dark. One
thing, however, was certain, there was no
nitrogen required, as, being a legume, the
plant provides all that for itself in fact,
II Is the best nitrogen gatherer that l
know Of, owing to its rampant foliage
and broad leaves. / experimental with
and without potash, but always used phos-
phoric acid. The plants which had not
received potash did not differ so very
greatly in general growth from those
which had, but when it came TO matur-
ing the pod. and the size and quality of
the bean, the effect of potash was plainly
to be seen. From my experience 1 should
think that a well proportional fertilizer
for this crop should contain about per
cent. potash and per cent. phosphorus
acid; four to eight hundred pounds per
acre will be quite sufficient. Some par.
ties have been complaining as TO the difll-
Guilty experienced in selling the crop.
Those that don't shell well are simply
shriveled up. not cured which is due to
insufficient nourishment and can be cor
rected by fertilizing properly. Well de-
veloped pods dry out even and are as cas-
lily sheled as COW peas.
There is without doubt great future
before the velvet bean, as every one who
who has tried it speaks fayorably of il,
and it is certainly here to stay partcu-
larly in the South Atlantic and Gulf
states 1t is an immense forage yielder,
and the second crop of it can be left on
the land to mulch it, and all fertility to
the soil On thin, barren sandy soils ii
will prove first-class renovator. as II
needs only little coaxing in the shape
of fertilizer of the proper grade to grow
well on the poorest of soils.
1 understand that in the southern part
of this state the beans have been ground
TO test them for fertilizers to replace cot
ton seed meal, and the results have been
highly satisfactory, the meal analyzing a
higher grade than cotton seed meal In
every case tested.
| have not been ables yet to find out
where the velvet bean came from, or what
country is its native home, but one thing
is sure, that here in Florida it can make
itself at home and give a good account
10 itself whenever tried