Gainesville daily sun. (Gainesville, Fla.) 190?-1938, 1908-02-13
vELvKT sKANs.

u Alt@1o lDuAAOtAAf 49,. 80 ~ $500 -
Scott OF the Florida Agricultural Elk.
pertinent station, gives the following
valuable information regarding the
velvet bean;
It has only been within the last
few years, perhaps not over fifteen
years, that we have considered the
velvet bean of any economic value.
Since that time we have found 1t to be
one Of the best soil renovatorS, weed
eradlcator when used as q cover
crop). and also an excellent feed for
beef and pork production. The velvet
bean belongs to the group Of plants
known as iegumes. A plant OF this
group has the power TO extract the
nitrogen from the atmosphere and
may deposit II in the soil. In this
way It builds up or improves the soil
upon which 1t grows. When any feed
stun that IL rich IN ammonia is fed
to animals. only part OF the am
monia Il retained IN the animal body
(ammonia in feed Stuffs ls called pro
tein); hence the manure produced 10
rich Ia ammonia. Il should be remem-
bered that ammonia Is the most cost
lIy OF the fertilizer elements that we
have to buy. Therefore II we can pro
duce II on the farm and at the same
time grow g good crop of feed, It
serves US a double purpose.
Numerous reports have been receiv-
cd at the Station regarding the yield
Of velvet beans, varying from eight
to forty bushels per acre. This fall
we picked four meaaured acres. On
three Of these sthe yield averaged
2,25S pounds Of beans In the pod. or
22.6 bushels or shelled beans per acre.
These had been drilled in rows four
feet apart. On the fourth acre, which
was planted with corn in alternate
rows THAT So. the rows Of beans were
eight feet apart, with q row OF corn
between). the yield was 2,0sS pounds
Of beans IN the pod, or 2O,2 busheis
OF shelled beans per acre.
The yield OF gas bushels per acre
wss obtained on very light sandy land.
II 10 probable that II these had been
planted on good land the yield would
have besn greater. At the present
time we have no data as TO the yield
OF hay from this crop, but 1t Is likely
10 be from two to four tons per acre,
We have collected the following
data; A common -four barrel full Of
dry beans In the pod weighs 30 pounds,
which viii thresh out 81 pounds Of
clean beans. or so per cent Of the
gross weight. One bushel Of good
clean beans weighs 80 pounds.
Comparing the feeding value Of cot
tonseed meal and velvet beans in the
pod, We and that good bright cotton
seed meal (7.5 per cent, ammonia) lie
"a times a. rich In disestlble pro
teln (unuscie and bone-producing ma
teriai), and three times as rich In fat;
while the velvet bean in the pod is
three times as rich In digestible car.
bohydratss tfatproducing materially.
In other words, II cottonseed meal 10
worth $50 per tom. velvet beans in
the pod are worth $40 per ton, There
la an important point that we should
remember, and that 10 velvet beans do
not have 10 be harvested, Cattle.
hogs and horses can be turned into
the fleld to pasture, and In this way
the expense OF harvesting. which
means about IS per acre. is saved.
Every farmer and stock.raiser ought
to grow a few acres Of velvet beans
each year. They are undoubtedly the
cheapest--li not the best--teed for
cattle, hogs and horses, and they are
q very easy crop 10 raise. AZ the same
ttims that the crop h growing on the
land n IL Improving the soil. and for
this reason Il ia an excellent crop
TO use IN q PoAtlon. Velvet beans
grown On foul land chat h, land bad.
ly infested with noxlous weedO viii
IN q year or two free the ground from
wseds. This IL due 10 the rank