El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-12-09

previous to the freeze or 1880 there
was practically no general farming in
the state outside of old Florida. the
cotton belt of the middle and west di-
visions. In the peninsula section the
growers simply lived out of the store
until the orange crop was gathered,
when they paid their bills to the ex-
tent of $1,000, $1,000 or s.. 900 and then
began the same round over again.
1.-The temporary destruction of the
orange groves and the Introduction OF
the two Invaluable legumes. velvet
beans and desmodium (beggar weed).
have changed the order of things.
Florida Is now really richer in legu-
minous soil enriching crops than the
north. She has velvet beans. COW
peas and desmodium with the prospect
of a winter legume, the vetch. being
presently added to the list, covering
all the year." So writes S. Powers OF
Florida to The Country Gentleman. in
which he has the following to say
about the two legumes that he values
SO highly:
The velvet bean on a good soil will
cover the ground with a solid mat of
vines six or eight inches deep. 1t pro
duces large, rich beans, more bushels
per acre than corn, % or 80 bushels be-
ing no uncommon yield. They are very
fattening to cattle and hogs. Thou
sands of acres were planted last spring
In south Florida and nearly all by men
who had first experimental in small
way and satisfied themselves of the
great value of this crop. Many ma
chimes have been tried for thrashing
them, hitherto with only Indifferent
success, but an inventor seems to have
devised a satisfactory thrashing ma
chine, a two horse and q four horse
power.
The cultivation Of upland rice has
also received a strong impetus in south
Florida, and in q few years we shall
probably see combined rice and bean
thrashers travelling about the country.
A good many bean hullerS were man.
ufactured at first, the pods being pick
ed by hand. but the pods are SO tightly
adhesive that it has been found best to
grind them up unshelled. They make
the richest feed for cattle, swine and
milk cows. 1 should not be surprised
if 10000 acres of velvet beans are
planted in the state next year. In the
spring there is such a mass of vegeta-
Die Ou Tie STOuuu tldl II Is d
serious task to pillow it under. even aft
er it has been cut up with the disk
harrow. In a few years, under this
course Of velvet beans, light sandy
land becomes dark colored with humus
and will produce 80 to So bushels of
corn per acre without other fertilizer.
DeSmodium is also leguminous
plant and is often called Florida clover.
1t yields no grain. but can be cut for
hay twice a year, occasionally three
times, yielding two tons per acre,
which, when properly cured, is as fra
grant and as freely eaten by live stock
as red clover hay in the north. The
seed needs to be sown thick in order
to reduce the stalks they will grow
seven feet high if standing sparse on
good land). and the crop should be cut
green.
We do not deny the poverty of most
Florida soils, but here is the point:
These legumes, with the help of a
slight sprinkling Of potash and phos-
plate. will produce two-thirds as much
value in grain feed (beans) per acre as
the average northern soil, and more
forage. and then a manure crop. This
yearly manure crop keeps up the land. |
Desmodium is self seeding. Velvet
beans have to be planted every year
unless left on the ground, beans and
all, and they are too valuable for that.