The Opelousas courier., 1899-06-17
The Velvet Bean.

A successful rival of the we'll known
c0w-pea of the South has now made it's
appearance, and will get a fair test this
season IN nearly every county in the
cotton growing Stats. 1t is known as
x,he velvet-bean. 1t is supposed to have
Ken Introduced u" southern Florida
frssSn Brill, yet seHle are Of tho opinion
thaslt Ns--.1sf oduccd years ago from
the agricultural section "i the patont
Office.
Practical experience. supplemented
by careful chemical analyses, has DEM
onstrated the fact that the value of the
velvet-bean for feeding purposes, X
elusive of the shells OF pods, much eX-
ceeds that OF h coW-pea. Protein is
one OF the most important constituents
Of food for live stock, and exists in a
greater proportion in the bean than in
the pea. Protein furnishes the mate
rials for the lean flesh, blood, skin,
muscles, tendrons, nerves, hair, horns,
wool, casein of milk, aIbumen of eggs,
etc. Ground with the pod the velvet
bean makes a most excellent feed for
milk-cows, producing fine, solid butter
Of an excellent flavor. When shelled
and ground and used as Il feed for
horses, the meal, if supplemented by
the usual supply of forage, forms Il rich
and nutritious feed. AS feed for stock.
the vines when cured AS hay are equally
valuable.
The estimated yield of green forage
an acre, when produced on land OF only
average fertility, ranges from ten to
twelve tons. AS the vines are slender,
and consequently contain less moisture
than those of the cow-pra, it is much
more easily cured and converted into
hay. The difficulty in making hay out
of the vines of the cuw-pea has mtasll-
rably prevented its general Use for hay
making purposes. Even on compa,a- .
lively poor land the vines from the :ei- !
vet-bean grow from ten to twenty ieet
in length, and on fairly good .arL i
growth OF from twenty-five to Thirty
feet is not unusual. Experience bias
shown that the velvet bean is one Of
the most rapid and efficient %nitlogen-
gatIerers known. The heterogeneous no.
dulles on the roots are often as large as
hazclnuts. These form in great album
dance and are evidently the habitat of
some form of nltlliying bacillus. To
secure the best results the beans should
be planted early in April, as the velvet
bean does not get It's nitrogen gather
ing capabilities III complete working
order until late in the season. This
bean has been very aptly termed Il nitro
gen fertilizer factory. The mount OF
forage wines and leaves that it pro
duces is astonishing as compared with
the quality yielded by the COW pea.
The vines usually come into full
bloom in August, producing long Gus
tiers of somewhat large purple flowers,
reminding on" of the Wistaria. The
plant is therefore quite an ornamental
one, which accounts for the fist use of
it i'll Florida, where II was grown as an
ornamental plant on t~lolli>es for shading
plaZZas. The pods are very thick and
leatlicry III appearance, and contain
from three to five large plump, fine
looking beans. These are iIlegularly
colored with pulplish and brown
patches. The foliage is much like
that OF other beans. The estimated |
yield of beans an acre. ranges from
twenty to Thirty bushels. Florida
grown seed can be obtained of the
leading Southern and Eastern seed
houses. AS yet, all the seed o%btainable
is that grown in Florida.
AS it is not probable that the beans
will ripen North OF the cotton growing
States, tie crop is likely to prove the |
most rank growing varieties Of field
corn, SD as to obtain the greatest mum
Der of tons an acse for ensilage pnr-
poses. This combination is a most de-
one for the purpose. Otherwise,
the greatest profit is likely to accrue to
farmers along the Northern border of
its successful growth, 10y using it as a
crop to pillow under for fertiliZlng pur- |
poses.-W. NJ. X, in Farm and Fire
side.
The St. Landry Homestead and Loan
Association is an important factor in
the npbuilding OF Opelousas. Take Il
few shares, benefit yourself and assist
in the good work.
Place your valuable papers III safety |
deposit box in the st. Landry State
Bank.
Read your home newspaper and-pay
for it.
Get our prices for job work.
SzH