The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1914-01-30
(By Lee Latrobe Bateman
The Velvet, Bean

l 4AC vC4VCt 0GoA
This is Florida's own. It is til
leading leguminous and forage Gro
at present grown In the State
| Where it originated from seems t
be doubtful or at least 1t is open t
discussion, as witness the numerou
reports and letters written on tn
su biect and published in bulletin
Of the U. S. Agricultural Depart
nent at Washington (No. 141, Par
81, entitled "The Florida velve
Bean and It's History"
Anyway, 1t was introduced in:t
Florida from somewhere way dowr
SOUTH for to Floria must unhesitat
ingly be given the credit to being its
original home in the United States
1t apparently, from hearsay, wa.
known in Florida as far back as the
early 70's but it is only within the
last Is or 20 years its value and i'm
rortance both as a leguminous and
forage crop has been seriously con.
sidered and recognized. 1t was orig
inally thought to be one Of the Dol
ichos family, a name given to some
forty or fifty species Of tropical
twining beans, but careful research
and. study have finally classified it
as one of the Mucuna genus, origi-
mating from Brazil, and Mucuna
Utilis is the given botanical name of
Velvet Bean.
Much literature has been written
on the Velvet Bean. In addition to
the bulletin above cited the U. S.
Department Of Agriculture issued
another (No. IA, 1SS9), by the pen
of Prof. Jared G.. Smith; the Ala
bama Agricultural Experiment Sta
tion published a bulletin (No. 1914,
in the same year, and the Florida
Agricultural Experiment Station in
Bulletin No. 60, 1902, gives a full
description Of the bean, while Prof.
H. H. Hume, president of the Flor
ida Horticultural Association, gives
a concise but graphic account Of it
in Bailey's Cyclopedia Of American
Agriculture, edition Of 1907.
In the early days of the culture
OF the Velvet Bean, it was principal
ly used as a covering for trellises
and screens, or as porch climber,
Its quick, rank growth making it ad.
adapted for that purpose
It was then, utilized as a cover crop
for citrus groves, but this very
growth with its tenacious climbing
habit. proved 1t to be more Of an
circumference and nuisance than
benefit. Trees became completely
enveloped in it. impeding not only
their growth, but seriously interior
Ing with the proper development CT
the fruit. In the open, however, it
Is Of exceeding great value. Not
emily as a cover crop and soil cleaner
ut will eradicate all weeds), but
IS soil renovator and sweetener.
The nitrogen and humus supplied by
his plant are of great value and
he mechanical condition Of the soil
IS vastly improved.
Its utility as such has been clearly
demonstrated, by, many tests. In
Alabama 1t was found that a crop|
II r.hum was nearly doubled as
he result OF blowing under 4 cror
u velvet beams" In Florida "the
'verage of an cat crop produced att
y velvet bean stubble. and one aft
i the entire crop plowed under,
vas four times as great as the aver
'ge Of crops following crabgrass and
nillet stubble.''
The velvet bean is specially suited
o Florida. It furnishes a better and
keaper source Of protein than any
'ther wi inter- forage crop. As cattle
at only about so per cent Of the
caves and vines large amount of
lumus Is added to the soil for the
crop. It has been esti. |
mated than an animal will fatten
IN IL acres. AS an example of ,
he richness Of the velvet bean in
'rotein and of its utility as a stock |
eed, good velvet-bean hay contains
bout s per cent of protein. Meal !
nay be made from the beans and
ods ground together, furnishing
ontent of II per cent Of protein /
nd IL to per cent Of fat, while
aeal made from the beans alone con-
aims 22.6 per cent Of protein and
6 per cent fat" This meal, how
yer, must be classed with concen-
rated foods and should not be fed
0 stock without the addition of 9th
r more bulky substances, having a
rider nutritive ratio.
Caution also must be observed in
aeding with Yelyet-hean hay The