The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1910-05-28
THE SOYBEANS

For the past three years the Della
ware Experiment Station has been
making extensive tests with the Soy
beans, a pant introduced several years
ago from Japan. From the results Sc
cured by this Station together with the
favorable reports from other expert
ment stations and practical farmers in
other States regarding the culture OF
this crop, il seems safe to predict that
the SOY or sofa bean will become
valuable crop wherever corn is grown
and hogs and cattle are led
The soybcsn is d legume and, like
the cowpea, has beneficial effect on
the soil where it grows. 1t produces a
hay almos, as nutritious as alfalfa,
while the seed has little more iced
ing value than oil meal Thus lar soy
beans have proved valuable crop to
grow for seed as the supply has hardly
equallcd the demand AS to length OF
growing season and the place in crop
rotations, the Soybcau is almost iden
teal with the cowpea.
Oh thirteen varieties tested IN 1907
ninc produced 3 to 4 I-2 tons oil hay
per acre. OF 81 varieties tested for
seed production, Il yielded from Is to
80 bushels per acre. Thirty varieties
were tested II 1908; twenty produced
3 to 4 lie tons OF hay, and yicidet
from 20 to 80 bushes OF seed. Forty
varieties were grown in 1909: 80 pro-
duccd 20 to ~ bushels of seed per
acre On the sane land with the like
treatment the best varieties OF COW
t,r,,J,,,..I II ha,-
and yielded Is b1shciS OF seed.
SoybcGns are adapted To- wide range
oI soils and may De grown i'll any part
OF Delaware Land that will grow
corn will produce good crop OF soy
beans The richer the soil the larger
the yield oi forage, though not always
uf seed. A crimson clover sod or land
which has had Dire ssng oi stable
manure the previous year is an excel
lent preparation iur the crop. On most
soils in lower Delaware an application
OF 200 lbs. per acre OF the following
fertilizer mixture is recommended,
100 lbs. acid phosphate, 40 lbs. murlatc
OF potash. Soils in good state OF fer
tllIty or to which manure has been &C
Ca ,onaiy applied do not usually re-
quirc incubation.
Prepare the land as for corn and
STOW about ten or twenty days after
the usualtimc ior painting corn.
Ii intended ior hay, SOW with an or
binary wheat drill as for wheat, using
about | IL bushels per acre. Sown i'll
this manner the plants soon cover the
ground and no cultivation is necessary
Cut when the lower leaves begin to
turn yellow Cure with as lite hand
ing Il, possible When partially cured
they may be thrown into small cocks
and allowed to finish curing there.
Ii seed is the object, drill in rows 81
To 10 mchr, apart. The wheat drill an
sWcr, nicely Tor this purpose, as the
distance between rows can be adjusted
as desired by topping the proper feed
cups. about - bushel oi seed per
acre VII be required when drilled i'll
roMs Cultivate three or Jour times as
Tor corn. keeping the surface soil well
stirred and level. Cut when the leaves
have turned yellow. The threshing
may be doue with an ordinary gram
separator OF, il the quantity is small,
failed out.
While a large number oi varieties is
known and have been tested by the va
rious Experiment Stations. there are
but lew varieties on the market. The
best known ui these are the Medium
Green. Ito San, and Medium Yellow,
Wilson and Black Beauty.
The Experiment Station has no soy
. beans for sale but will gladly furnish
any further information i'll regard to
growing the crop.
\. F. GRANTHAM, Agronomist.
Delaware Experiment Station.