The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-10-31
BEAN GROVER
DISCUSSES CROP
SOME INTERESTING FACTS CON.
CORNING NAVY BEANS m
NORTH DAkoTA-M ETHops
YIELDS MENTIONED BY Ex.
PERIENcEp GROWER.

i am probably one of the Oldest
bean raisers in North Dakota" was the
statement made to The Forum today
by John Etiman of Mapleton. II plant.
ed my first beans near Mapleton
twenty years ago. For the last eight
cen years | have grown them regular
" and have had crops each year rang
ing from ten to seventy acres. NV
largest yield, prior to this season. was
eighteen bushels. This year the crop
may exceed that.
Bean raising can be made a profit
able crop in North Dakota under
proper conditions, one of which is that
1t should be done in connection with
sheep. so the latter can consume The
by products.
The most important feature in bean
raising, perhaps, is that the soil should
be properly prepared in advance, If
you want to raise a good boy you have
to begin with his grandfather, and
tina 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 any one who IN
tends to grow navy beans | might
make a few suggestions. My method
~ - liN'h " iSiN ~ tOln OhG yGdIs JIlu
cultivate it 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 l pillow the land
thoroughly. In the spring | disco the
land, then later ] drag it, then later /
go over 1T with a spring tooth harrow.
Iher is no more important tool on a
farm than a spring tooth harrow,
nothing that does it's work SO we'll.
| fThpI1 Gti1l lnfnY-aT -, 49,, 49, I,--I ..-.4i
a peg tooth harrow. ! plant the beans
with a wheat drill, three rows at u
time, about May 25. Earlier than that
is taking too much risk of frost. Then
as soon as the beans are up / dc Iy
them with 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 sometimes drag
them both with the drill and cross
wise, whenever the pigeon grass comes
up The beans should be in 'oWs
about twenty-four inches apart AMI
stand from two to four inches in the
row. After the beans get up three to
five inches l begin the use Of a riding
c~ultivator and 60 over the crop from
three to five times, depending ON how
often is necessary to keep the pigeon
grass down.
In the fall / pull them with a pillow
oii LII SiilNlNy ulllSSS inc pISCOl GRASS
got the best of me as it did one year.
The beans are then raked into WIND
lows some damp morning and later
placed in cocks, after which they can
either be stacked or placed in some
roomy barn. If stacked great care
must be used as they heat quickly.
Il thresh them by changing the pull
eyS on an ordinary separator, but a
bean huller, such as is used in Michi-
I IN ~ les h >--~- Es-~ -
ers in each community grew the crop
they could easily buy a huller together.
The tedious work about beans is
that they must be hand picked for the
market. That is the slow job and
while not laborious it is tedious. That
work can easily be done in the winter
time and on wet days. "
I'm the eighteen years that l have
grown nav beans I lost two crops by
frost. The yields range from ten 10
eighteen bushels. In Michigan the
crops sometimes go as high as thirty
five. l doubt very much whether the
soil in the Red river valley proper is
as. well fitted for the crop as a llttIe
farther out. I should think Tower
City, Sheldon, Hope and other sections
west of there could grow magnificent
crops.
THE prices have ranged from $1.25
W 20 pei uuSllSl. l nave SOlu liz
greater part of mine for seed, though
some commercially.
" am convinced that by. proper
handling beans can easily be made a
profitable 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 FOL
stock, especially sheep. 1t is easily
as nutritious as clover hay. Horses
and cows eat it readily, though sheer
appear to like it better. / know people
in Ransom county, o m the western side
of Cass, in Steele county and other
sections of the state who are growing
beans profitably and + 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 4
little consideration. A small acreage
will be enough at first until the science
of raising the crop is mastered. One
bushel of beans is amply sufficient fol
seed for an acre"