Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1916-03-30
Al New Field Bean

Industry OF the Department OF
Agriculture has been making ex-
periments with nearly hundred
lots Of beans, representing 50 yari-
cities Of 4 new field bean known as
tile bonavist, lablab or hsacintb
bean which promises 70 be most
valuable addition to our field crops
The bonayist is a native of India
and has been cultivated since ancient
times IN tropical and sab-tropical
countries il Is generally grown for
human food. the young pods o.
some varieties being used after the
manner % string beans. ~ India,
China and, formerly n least, the
West indies. the dried seeds Of cer
tain varieties are also used as food.a
~ temperate countries ii is more
commonly known rs IN ornamental
plant. especially the purple leaved
Towering kinds, which are often
used 70 grow over trelliscs or porch
Is. TO some extent The bonayist
has also been used for foliage and
,as grecn-manure crop
III most respects the bonayist is0
closely comparable 10 the cowpca,
but il IS more vigorous and more
viny a single plant OF some Of the
sorts viii produce. under favorable
conditions, At least twice Is much
heritage al = single plant % any cow
pea Tie stems are tonehcr and
more fhrons ard che leaves less sa,'-
cnlem Like the cowpea, the bona.
visit u indetermine in growth, bloom
ing and fraitng as long az the con
ditiops remain favorable. The best
bnshy Or half-bushy sorts planted in
thrce.foot rows make much the
same tpye Of growth q the cowpea.
and under tle Same conditions wilt
produce greater yield oi hay,
which is more easily cured, owing a.
bonayisi il also well adapted ~ ils
small moisture content The plant.
iua with corn or somp other sup
porting crop. ln corn the yininp
habit of iho plau become accoutn-
ated, and 'some 81 the more vigorous
varieties will grow across the rows.
making a tangled mass difficult 10
haudle wieu emitting for siIagc. on
the whole, however, Tie bonas'st 4
closely eonlssable 10 the rowpea in
value for PLANTING iu corn
Tie principal aeakocss ~ tle
bdnaYist, considered as forage
CROP is the relatively poor yield 81
seed and the dillieulfs 81 harvesting
Il. which makes il expensive From
a se,d-prodoctiou .tandpoiai tho
most Desirable s.aricties are those IL
whirh thc pods retain their form
when drA, ~ these are 10, much 40
feciea ~ Wd weaibtr aua thrash
oni rather rasily
"a tlm Arlinpion Firm the carli
~ varieties ripen their first pods ~
about a bundled d1ys Many kinds
are uol oycu ID bloon when Killed
hy frost after about $50 days. A
growing Geld d tie boniYea, Is beau
tiful 90 behold, j. ~ some varieties
every part Of the plani u more
on lps, depply purple tinnsd. while
Ia others there II 10 trace of this
color Some sorts are covered Wilh
short. white hairs, so that the feii.
age Is pale and dull. while Ia others
they are bright aud deep bucd The
pods vars greatly IN si5e and shape
The color mas ie green, white,
purple o. purple margIned
The green pods If sone varieties
90 the bonagist are much used IL the.
tropics al snap beans; indeed, obey
have bccn called The kidney bean
Of the Asiaties. Other varieties
arc pol lhus eaten in India. beinp
called bitter One variety has for.
some years been sold under the
nAme Slrnglcss. This produces
an abundance 81 LARGE. ileshy white
pods which. cooked after the man.
ner % string hcans, are yery good.
This variety should he generally
known from Maryland and Ken
tucky southwark, ~ It not only pro
duees an abundance. oi edible pods,
but incidcntls makes an attractive
arbor vino. The use Of the dry
seeds for food is less common. hui
some varieties arr tins uthisrd n
India and China. Twice-A Week
American.