The Ocala evening star., 1911-02-28
VELVET BEAN VALUE

Fifteen years ago it was almost i'm
possible to secure good Florida beef in
the winter months.
Cattle feed for fall and winter use
was an unknown quantity in this
state.
The first velvet beans planted IN Ma
rion county were planted al Anthony
by my brother E. l. Howell
He sent TO DeLand for seed and paid
$I.25 for a peck. These were planted
in 10 feet checks between watermelOns.
II I remember rightly the peck plant
ed about 10 acres. He saw the great
benefit to be derived from the velvet
bean as an after crop and has been an
enthusiastic advocate of them ever
since. AS the boil weevil Of Texas and
Louisiana has forced the cotton plant
ers to plant their cotton as early
the danger of frost IS over so the
caterpillar has forced the Florida far
mer to plant his velvet beans a. early
as weather conditions will permit We
can no longer count on crop OF beans
planted behind 1opes. watermelons,
etc.
Today the velvet bean acreage in
Marion county is greater than any 9TH
er one crop and bids fair TO equal all
other crops combined. AS a humus
producing plant its equal has never
been found. As a nitrogen gatherer il
is almost equal TO the COW pea. We
know of old worn-out fields where
formerly eight TO ten bushels of corn
was considered a very fair yield. The
same fields now after a few crops of
velvet beans easily produce - TO 80
bushels. Authorities on soil culture
are agreed that the greatest need of
Florida lands is humus. more humus
and still more humus.
When I first went in as a farming
partner with Mr. T. c. Chambliss. he
gave me this advice: Charlie, there is
one thing that / want to impress on
your mind and that is no man ever
made a success as a farmer who tried
to farm with fire" The soil is the far
mer's bank. If he is continually draw
ing on his account, without an Occas-
ional deposit, he will soon receive no
tice that his account is overdrawn
From that day 10 this | have never
seen a fire in a field without thinking
of Mr. Chambliss' advice.
The velvet bean is the one best bet
the farmer can make. As soil re-
storer its equal does not exist. As
money crop it is equal acre for acre to
the wheat or corn crops of the west
Nothing gladdens my heart so as the
sight of corn and velvet bean field
with cattle and hogs in it. This is the
one great advantage the Florida far
mer has over his brother of the west
ern country.
The western farmer. works six
months in the year making and gather
ing his crop and then works six
months still harder feeding what he
has made. The Florida farmer who
has learned the true value of the vel
vet bean. simply makes his crop of
corn and beans. turns his steers and
hogs in and watches the dollars grow
Then there is another side to the
bean question. No other state in the
Union can produce bean seed. their
season being too short. / look for this
one phase of the question to bring
thousands of dollars of northern mon
| ey to our pockets.
l have been asked by several of my
ineighbors, What is a velvet bean crop
worth" l have never been able to
satisfactorily answer this question
| The more / ponder the question the
more | believe it to be unanswera BILE.
! The velvet bean has made it possible
for Florida to produce its own corn
fed hogs; for Florida to raise it's own
| beef; for Florida to be, in a great
measure, independent of commercial
fertilizers, and for Florida to be inde-
pendent of the west for her corn
| In fact I claim that the velvet bean
| has made it possible for Florida to
| take front rank a general farming
state. May the farmers of Marion
| county see the true worth of the best
| friend we have ever had
c. B. Howell