The Delta independent. [volume] (Delta, Colo.) 1886-19??, 1916-03-24
Bean. an Important Crop for 1916.


The writer has received reliable in
formation that the demand for beans
for export during the past eighteen
months has absorbed all beans obtain
able from one end of this country to
the other. Even the normal demand
for beans for the next twelve months
can not be supplied, and the added
call, occasioned by the European war,
will tend to make the demand even
stronger.
This Is the year when q farmer with
several acres in good filth will do well
to plant this crop. Beans contain as
much protein as meat and because OF
their low cost, palitability and high
food value, they have become an i'm
portant article of daily diet for the
soldier at the front, for the prisoner
in confinement, among all nations and
1t is impossible to overestimate their
present export value.
Today, Wholesale dealers are Offer
ing $500 and $500 a hundred, in car
lots, for beans. Our annual supply in
the United State is from five to seven
million bushels only. This Is hardly
enough to supply home consumption.
to say nothing Of the present enlarged
export demand. The great majority
of the beans OF the nation are grown
in Michigan. New York. California.
while Maine. Wisconsin, Ohio. Penn
sylvania, Iowa, Florida. Virginia and
West Virginia are important bean
growing states. --..... e
S. crop statistics department, is 900
pounds to the acre. Under irrigation.
in Colorado. as high as 1000 to 1900
pounds per acre have been obtained.
A person who will cultivate his beans
as he would his corn. planted on any
thing like reasonably good soil. should
be able 70 obtain from 800 TO 1900
pounds per acre. The market Will
Justify him counting on obtaining bet
ter than &c. per pound. or $500 per
hundred.
This crop should not be planted
until all danger of frost has passed
and great care needs to be given the
irrigation OF the crop. Consult your
county agent or the state college crop
man. in reference TO both proper cul-
tural methods and irrigation for this
crop. Choose that type which your
local seed dealer or the special crop
man OF the college recommends is best
adapted to your locality and local
market
The principal thing Is. plan first Of
all to plant Mt least n few acres as
one side line cash crop. Second.
Plant in rows sufficiently wide for
use OF horse cultivator. Third.
Keep the crop growing vigorously
from the start Fourth. Harvest in
the irrigated section early In the morn
ing. before the intense rays of the
sun render the pods SO dry that the
beans shell badly. Do not harvest in
the field during the heat OF the day.
to full maturity. to prevent any shrink
age OF the bean.
Mexican beans. the Martha WASH
ington IN type of small navy BEAM
and the kidney bean. seem to be west
ern favorites.
The amount OF seed required to
plant an acre. varies with the variety.
from 40 to rs pounds. Probably the
best harvest returns have been OBJ
tanned when beans were planted in
drills rather than hills. For this. an
average grain seeder can be used for
plapting. stopping up as many seed
tubes In the grain seeder AS you find
necessary to give the average width
for successful cultivation.
The seed should be planted medium
shallow. with just enough dirt to
cover TO give moist seed bed and
insure quick termination. One OF the
requirements OF good bean crop is
quick. sturdy termination, producing
n good stand.
The writer believes that beans can
be successfully cultivated and irri-
gated in rows 2s inches apart.
II is to be hoped that in small or
chards. where trees have not yet come
into bearing. ground can be occupied
between rows with this crop. without
injury to the trees and with profit to
the grower.
Let us consider few acres OF beans
for our farm crop plans for 1916.