Newark post., 1910-05-25
THE SOYBEANS
A Promising New Crop For Delaware


For the past three years the Dela-
ware Experiment Station has been
making extensive tests with the Soy
beans, plant 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, it seems safe to predict that
the soy or sofa bean will become a
valuable crop wherever corn is grown
and hogs and cattle are fed.
The soybean is a legunle and, like
the cowpea, has beneficial effect on
the soil where it grows. 1t produces a
hay almost as nutritious as alfalfa,
while the seed has little more feed
ing value than oil meal. Thus far soy
beans have proved valuable crop to
grow for seed as the supply has hardly
eeualled the demand :, AS to length OF
growing season and the place in crop
rotations, the soybean is almost iden-
tical with the cowpea.
OF thirteen varieties tested in 1907,
nine produced 3 to 4 I-2 tons OF hay
seed production, IL yielded from IS to
80 bushels per acre. Thirty varieties
were tested in 1908; twenty produced
3 to a 4l-2 tons OF hay. and yielded
from 20 to SO bushels of seed. Forty
varieties were grown in 1909; 80 pro-
duced 20 to 40 bushels OF seed per
acre. On the same land with the like
treatment the best varieties OF cow
=. peas produced tons OF hay per acre
and yielded IS bushels iof seed.
Soybeans are adapted to wide range
of soils and may De grown in any part
OF Delaware. Land that will grow
corn will produce good crop OF soy
beans. The richer the soil the larger
the yield of forage, though not always
of seed. A crimson clover sod or land
which has had dressing OF stable
manure the previous year is an excel
lent preparation for 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. murlate
OF potash. Soils in a good state OF fer
tility or to which manure has been oc-
casionally applied do not usually re-
quire incubation.
Prepare the land as for corn and
SOW about ten or twenty days after
the usualtime ior planting corn.
If intended for hay, SOW with an or
dinary wheat drill as for wheat, using
about l-2 bushels per acre. Sown in
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 little hsnd-
ing as possible. When partially cured
they may be thrown into small cocks
and allowed to finish curing there.
If seed is the object, drill in rows 81
to 40 inches apart. The wheat drill an
swers nicely for this purpose, as the
distance between rows can be adjusted
as desired by stopping the proper feed
cups. About 1-2 bushel OF seed per
acre will be required when drilled in
rows. Cultivate three or iour times as
for corn, keeping the surface soil we'll
stirred and level Cut when the leaves
have turned yellow The threshing
may be done with an ordinary grain
separator or, il the quantity is small,
failed out
While large number OF varieties is
known and have been tested by the va
Iloue Experiment stations, there are
but few varieties on the market. The
best known Of 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 in regard to
growing the crop
A. E, GRANTHAM,
Agronomist
Delaware Experiment Station