The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1911-07-27
HAMUS ON DRY FARM
Native Of Syria, and Delights In
Hot, Dry Weather.
II ls Not Affected by Hot Winds, as
Corn and Other Grains, and Ma.
lures In Six 20 Eight Weeks
From Planting.

In the summer OF 1900 / filed on q
claim on which ! am living today, and
since then | have been studying the
climate and the soil Of this country,
writes f. Rizk Of Stanley county.
{ South Dakota. in the Orange Judd
Farmer. The more I studied the bet.
ter ! felt, because II put me in mind
OF the place where was born and
raised. on the farm Of Jim Janeen FL
Bakka, about 35 miles from Damascus.
syria. In that section many good
crops are raised without a drop of
summer rain. SO not long after set
tling here / sent TO the old country
and got about three pounds OF hamus
Ihis Is n pea that we always depend.
ed upon for summer crops. and a table
vegetable.
BY the way, I must tell what ba.
mus is like. and for what and how
II Is used. This plant is a member OF
the pea family and used practically
the same way for cooking, and II may
also be roasted and salted or suRared
as peanuts. In addition Il is fine
feed for horses and hogs, and, in fact.
Tor all kinds OF live stock. Last spripR
about planting time I showed the
pea TO my neighbor and gave him a
small package OF the seed and asked
him TO try II on his place. The bal.
ance OF the seed ! planted myself
Inc hrst lot seeded May II, 1910.
planted two rows on weu-worked
seed bed, placing the seed Is inches
apart in row with the same distance
between. The other portion OF the
seed ] planted on new breaking: how.
ever this was also well prepared. This
seed was planted the first week Of
June. Both seedlings came up about
the same time, as It was cold the lat.
ter part Of May. and the seed did no,
germinate until the weather became
warm. After spring really opened IL
did not take long for the plants to |
come up. probably from Ave to eight
days.
After hamus was planted we had no 1
ram worth mentioning: in fact, we
had only a light shower about June
zo' which was not even enough TO set. |
Tie the dust, and that was the first and |
last received after planting the crop
until after harvest The plants did
spiendidly and grew as fast as Rus.
sian thistles. The stalks grow much
lke the thistle. about ~ to Is inches
high and about the same in diameter.
II blossoms and produces pods which
contain one OF the peas, ordinarily
only one. The seeds are a trifle larg.
er than the common garden pea ana
nave cream-colored hull.
IL seems strange that natural saI,
iccupuiates on the plant while green.
ana YET II Is fact. and when this is
washed out by rain II delays growth
lhe drier the season and the hotter
ne weather the better the plant
eems TO thrive. IL is not affected by
lot winds, as corn and other grains
md natures from six to eight weeks
rom planting, depending largely upon
ne season. ! harvested mine while
'reen last Summer for table use on
uly b. On August Z we had a good
am here, and after that the plants
anne up and made more growth the
anne as before. but produced little
eed.
Regarding the yield per acre OF this
rop, | might add that | found from
o to l6O pods on a plant. and every
cd contained one and sometimes two
eeds' In my estimation hamus will ,
ield as much as 40 bushels per acre
MY neighbor whom | supplied n
mall quantity of seed was well
leased. and he intends to grow about ,
acres this season. Many other
armers here after seeing the plant ,
etermined to give II trial. and ,
ecured seed for them. In all I have !
iade three importatlons, and shall ,
row about $50 acres. | believe
hat at least 200 to 500 acres will he ,
ianted In our vicinity Now as 10 ;
he place that hamus will All in this !
ountry | believe 1t viii be a good :
ning Tor the arid and seml.arid west !
DalryInu on HInb D.I.s