The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1898-05-19
FARM AND GARDEN.
MATTERS OF INTEREST TO.
AoRicULTURisTS.
Some Up-to-Dais Hints About cui-'
tisatioa Of the soii and Yields
Thereof HertieuIiurs. yltisaiturs and
florienlfare.


Question Of sofa Beans Answered.
To the Farmers Review.--A former
article published IN the Review Of Feb.
3 resulted In such a shower OF lettsss
OF inquiry on every imaginabis sub
iect In regard to Sofa beans. Ia self-de-
Tense I an tempted 10 ask help Of the
Review In answering such Of the many
questions asked. as will be Of general
interest to your readers.
The question oftenest asked IL:
How will the Sofas compare In yield
with other crops In feeding capacity |
per acre." On this question. because
Of my limited experience and lack OF
records OF weights aud other data,
do not feel justified In giving opinions
a. facts. therefore quote from those
better posted and Of the highest author
ity on the subject, viz; Government
Bulletins Nos. ls and %. From the
analysis there given. as a foundation
and my experience In growing them
as a field crop. am fully satisfied that
with ths Same soil. season and care
given any other field crops--either hay
or grain-they will yield In available
feed from an equal amount TO four or
i've times the quantity in bulk. while
by the authority quoted above, we ind
that the plant. either green or dry.
when compared with other hay or for
age crops or the seed compared with
other grains. gives a feeding value per
acre far In excess OF any other crop
that can be grown in the northern and
central states. even corn not excepted.
To illustrate. The two most necessary
and valuable ingredients OF all feed
Is. FIRST. protein. the heterogeneous OF
flesh and bone-iorming elements; sec
ond. fat. which Ia turn makes fat and
furnishes heat and energy 70 the anil
NAL. In these elements the SOFA bean
and red clover are about equal In the
green plants Cow peas and green
corn have only about half as much OF
either element as the SOFAS. When
dried for hay or fodder the SOFAS have
three times the protein and over twice
the fat OF the best timothy hay. one
fourth more protein and Fat than elo-
yer. and four times as much. both OF
protein and Fat. as corn grown specially
FOR fodder. ears and stalks included.
The seeds OF the SOFAS have more than
three times the protein and fat Of the
best grain OF corn. one half more pro-
TEN and over twelve times more Fat
than COW peas. also three times as
much OF both as oats. With these es-
Inmates OF comparative value and an
equal yield In tons per acre. Il Is easy
| 20 compute their value for feed but
when the yield In tons runs from three
10 Eve tons In favor Of the SOFAS. as Il
frequently does over some Of the crops
mentioned In dry season. then the re-
suits are wonderful and almost past
belief.
An additional fact 70 be remembered
n. that while all the other crops men
toned. exeep, clover. draw richness
from the soil and impoverish Il. the
SOFAS draw principally from the air
and dew, and add more richness 10 the
soil than they take away.
As soon as their merits are known
10 stock breeders and dairymen and
rightly appreciated. they will take q
leading place among our regular farm
crops
As 10 the safety In feeding them C
stock In pasturing the green beam
with cattle. care should be taken Al
with clover. In turning them In c
gorge themselves while the dew Is on
or TIL they are used 70 the feed. Il
one has the time 10 spare Il Is better
20 cut and feed as needed. the waste
saved will pay for the work Care
should be taken In feeding horses OF
the threshed beans. or the meal or OF
the fodder with the beans unthreshe,
II they are well matured. as they arr
so rich and oily they often prove to-
much o, laxative aud II over-ied vii
physie them severely. II the beans ar
, threshed and fed they should be nike
With other less oily grain 10 get IN
best results They are better led IN
. threshed with the fodder 20 COWS an
sheep. Hogs eat little but the seed
, when fed standing. or hoed down. bu
eat the dr. leaves o. the fodder Ia ID
winter.
The amount OF seed TO SOW per aer
must be determined by the use 20
, intend TO make OF the crop. and hot
you SOW or plant Il. II strictly a see
p, crop Is wanted one peck per acre
7, enough IN rows. drilled IN with two
horse corn planter or ono horse see
! drill as planter II seed and feed Al
Il both wanted. plant one-thlrd 70 on
half bushel per acre as above Cult
J. yate once or twice as needed. they wi
K pay for the extra labor though the
y will come nearer giving something I,
u nothing" In the way OF neglect In 50
Is and care. than any other known Gro
o II pasture fsr dry weather or a Ia
10 crop Is the ot,sei. drill In with a graz
drill one-hali - three-fourths OF
q srHhel. or SOW -roadcast three-fourtl
Il TO one bashel. Some drills will NJ
d SOW peas or beans without grinding I
I. the seed or II will pack IN the feede
e II the weather Is very dry wh'
"A harvested they can be cut wi
N binder and bound In small bundle
a Three bundles will cure well togeth
!. Many inquire for publication, glyii
!, information about growing thy Sol
I, for feeding and fcrtillzlng The 20
= eminent bulletins No, i6. "Leguml
~ Gus Plants for Green Manurlng a
y Feeding" and No %, The Feeding
AZ Farm Animals" are among the be
le and will be sent free on application
~ the secretary Of agriculture at Was
". lngton. d. c.
Is w ~ sroDpARu
IA Unnecessary Restrictions
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