The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-11-01
BEAN GROWER
DISCUSSES CROP
Can be Prohtably Grown on
North Dakota Farms
Sheep Feed.

Fargo. N. D.. Nov. Ii am prob.
ably one of the Oldest bean raisers in
North Dakota" was the statement
made ny John Etiman of Mapleton. II
planted my first beans near Mapleton
twenty years ago. For the last eight.
cen years have grown them regular
~ n have had crops each ear rang
ing from ten to seventy acres. My
largest yield. prior to this season. was
eighteen bushels. This year the crop
may exceed that.
"Bean raising can be made a profit
acie crop IN North Dakota under prop.
er conditions, n Of which is that
IT should be done in connection with
sheep. SO the latter can consume the
by%-products.
The o important feature in
pean raising. perhaps. is that the soil
should nc properly prepared in adj
vance. Ii you want to raise a good
boy you have to begin with his grand
father. and that is the way with beans.
The worst enemy to the bean crop
IN this state, is the pigeon grass. as a
growth of that makes it necessary to
hand pull the crop.
For the benefit of n n who in
tends to grow navy beans l might
make a few suggestions. My method
Is to plant a field in corne one year,
and cultivate 1t largely and keep the
crop as clean as possible. then follow
that with a barley or millet crop. AS
soon as that is taken off 1 pillow the
land thoroughly. In the spring 1 disc
the land. then later 1 drag it, then
later 1 go over it with a spring tooth
harrow. There is no more important
tool on a farm than a spring tooth
harrow. nothing that does its work so
Well. Then still later 1 go " the
land with a peg tooth harrow. I plant
the beans with a wheat drill, three
rows at a time. about May %. Earlier
than that is taking too much risk Of
frost. Then as soon as the beans are
up l drag them it'll a light harrow.
They are rather tender at first but as
soon as they get three or four leaves
on them they are all right. I some-
times drag them both with the drill
and crosswise. whenever the pigeon
a m up. The beans should be
In toWs about twenty-four inches apart
and stand from two to four inches in
the row.. After the beans get up three
to hve inches I begin the use Of a rid
ing c%ultivator and 60 over the crop
from three to five times. depending on
now often is necessary to keep the
pigeon grass down.
In the fall 1 pull them with a pillow
arrangement, unless the pigeon grass
got the best of me as it did noe year.
me beans are then raked into wind
rows some damp morning and later
placed in cocks. after which they a
either be stacked or placed in some
roomy barn. If stacked great care
must be used as they heat quickly.
.! thresh them by changing the
pulleys on an ordinary separator. but
a bean huller, such as is used in Michi-
gan. Is the proper thing. If more
In each community grew the
crop they could easily buy a huller to-
gether.
The tedious work about beans is
that they must be hand picked for the
market. That is the. slow job and
while not laborious Il tedious. That
work can. easily. be ID in. the winter
time and on wet days.f -.
In the eighteen years; that I have
grown navy beans I loEt two crops by
frost. The yields range from ten to
eighteen bushels. In Michigan the
crops sometimes go as high as thirty
fve. l doubt very much whether the
soil In the Red river valley proper is
as well fitted for the crop as a little
farther out. I should think Tower
City. Sheldon. Hope and other sections
west Of there could grow magnificent
crops.
The prices have ranged from s1.25
to 80 per bushel. l have sold the
greater part of mine for seed, though
some commercially.
i am convinced that by proper
handling beans can easily be made 8
prohtable crop anywhere in the state.
The chief value of beans. however, is
not so much from what is. actually
realized by the sale Of the crop, as
from the conditions in which the soil
Is left and Is freed from pigeon grass.
Beans loosen up the soil and leave it
mellow. 1t Is as valuable as clover
for introducing nitrogen in the soil.
The. greater yields of other crops are
produced following a bean crop.
THE hulls and vines" concluded
Mr.. Etiman. have high food values for
stock. especially sheep. 1t is easily
as nutritious as clover hay. Horses
and COWS eat it readily. though sheep
appear to like it better. 1 know peo-
pie in Ransom county, on the western
side Of Cass, in Steele county and 9TH
er sections Of the state who are grow
ing beans ~profitably and I would urge
every farmer who has the time to de-
vote to the crop and wishes to improve
and clean his land to give the crop a
little consideration. a small acreage
will be enough at first until the science
Of raising h crop is mastered. One
bushel of beans is amply sufficient for
seed for an acre."