The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-05-21
SOY BEANS SUPERIOR TO COW
PEA
As LeguminOus Plant Has Many Ad-
vantageS.

For general farming some improve
ed variety Of the COW pea will prob
ably always take the most prominent
place among soil legumes; but be-
lieves that the SOY bean is, in many
respects superior to the pea. The
SOY bean Is an Asiatic plant, grown
! extensively in Japan and China.
| While 1t has grown in small way
here for many years, X has not at
tracted much attention in the South,
until recently, though 1t is being
| grown on large scale in some West
ern States. especially where the rain
| fall is scant 1t Is sure to become
popular in the South when it's full
value is realized
The soy bean Is an annual legum-
inous plant, closely related to the COW
pea. When compared with the pea,
II is more valuable in mai.y ways:
(a) 1t will collect more ammonia
from the atmosphere than will the
pea, thus being a greater improver.
(b) The seed will remain on the
| ground until late fall--November or
| December-without rotting. thus Civ
ing a longer grazing period than the
COW pea.
| (c) 1t is erect in growth, without
runners, and can therefore be more
easily cut for silage or hay.
(d) 1t will resist drought better
than the COW pea will.
(e) There are varieties Of the soy
bean that will mature seed much ear
lier than the earliest varieties Of the
COW pea; hence 1t can be grown fur
ther North, and in the South can be
planted earlier and later than can the
COW pea.
(f) 1t will produce far more grain
per acre than will the COW pea; and
the richer the soil the more grain
there will be; whereas with the pea
rich soil tends to run the growth to
vine with only small amount Of peas.
(g) The soy bean natures all its
fruit at once and can therefore be
harvested by machinery and the seed
removed from the pod by common
\ grain threshing machinery; whereas
the cow pea must be hand picked and
threshed by special machinery.
| (h) 1t is not troubled with weevils
| and othcr insect pests which injure
| cow peas
OD It's Ch!at advantage over the
cow pea is that 1t is richer in pro-
! teiu aud lat. 1t contains an average
| of 35.4 per cent of protein and 20.4
| per cent of oil, as compared with 25.3
per cent of protein and 1.S per cent
of oil in cow peas. The soy bean is
the richest muscle-producing food
we can raise. Soy bean meal Is as
rich as cotton seed meal.
| On the other hand the cow pea has
some advantages over the soy bean,
o. g.:
(a) 1t cannot be grown as well
as the COW pea in corn.
(b) 1t cannot be grown broadcast
as we'll, for the seed do not germinate
as uniformly. because they need more
moisture.
(c) Soy bean hay Is harder to
cure. because leaves shed so readi-
ly
(O Soy beans must, to get best
results, be planted In rows and work.
| cd
(e) Where there are rabbits It Is
hard to keep them from eating every
part Of the plant
Methods Of CIVILIZATIONS: Best re-
suits are obtained when sown in drills
80 inches apart. using two to three
pecks of seed per acre. Sow with
corn planter, or better with grain
drill, stopping up all tubes but first,
fifty and ninth. Prepare land same
as for corn breaking deep with large
two-horse plow and narrowing before
planting Tertillze by applying 800
pounds acid, 100 pounds cotton seed
meal zoo pounds kainit At this sta
Ion aver 32 bushels per acre haN q
neon obtained. Cultivate ds for corn,
w'tf' weedAr tr harrow for Hrst culii-
''tions' and later some form of tooth
| 1"ltivat,r
lest it::eties for the South ,,rc
Mammoth yellow, Hollybrook, Black
Beauty auburn, yellow medium and
early green. Good varieties can be
had from II. w. Wood, Richmond,
va; Alexander Seed Company, Au-
gusta' Ga, and Ralph Allen. Delavan.
~. probably the greatest producer OF
the bean i'm this country.