The Monticellonian., 1916-11-23
MOST VALUABLE CROP
Velvet Beans Thrive on Thin Soils
 Of Southern States.
In Many Places It Is Being Used AL most as Much as Reliable cowpea Ideal Crop for nshng
 Organic Matter.

The velvet bean cannot he compared with the eoNpea for northern plant ing. hut in this state, in Florida, North Carolina and other southern sections it furnishes q very valuable forage and grows well on thin soils.
 l have seen fields of these beans in Florida where the vines had made a growth of from 25 to 40 inches, and in some fields yielded 20 bushels of the beans per acre. They have q Hk- ing fer moist, hot weather and grew we'll in sandy and Well-dfained fields, says q Georgia writer in Farm Pro gress. It seems te be Il valuable crop in most of the cotton states, and ill many places is being used almost as much as the old reliable cownea
 The velvet bean belongs to the great and valuable family Of legumes and their chief value lies in the fact that they make aH ideal crop for turning under, thus enrichiug the soil and giy- ing necessary organic matter.
 1 plant them iii about the same way as eoWpeas Some seasons 1 plant them between the corn rows. where they may be hogged down after the corn k cut. Three 10 four of the beans should be planted in a hill. As n rule, put them on the very poorest ground l have, and after pasturing them 1 blow them under
 Hogs and cattle do wonderfully well on the beans. The leaves, filaments and pods make q fine grazing for eat tie. In pasturing cattle on them it k necessary to watch the animals, and see that they do not gorge themselves. This is likely to happen the frs. day they gre turned on such luxurious pas ture
 For logging down they are very sat isfactory. They are stuffed with pre- teins, and hogs fatten very steadily. use them te heIp=in fitting the hogs for the fatjemug pens. II k cheaper to start the fattening process hy means of the heaus than en corn at prevail ing prices
 It seems to me that the greatest value of the velvet bean lies in it's power ta build up worn-doWn soils. The roots. stems, the leaves and the rootlets of the plant help to hold hill side soils together under the rains of winter They make q very good cover crop in the cotton growing sections.
 The velvet bean seems to he | sort of semitropical legume. and has never been of much value in the northern states II must have hot suns to make q good growth, and seems t0 do better in such moist climates as that of Flor ida The vines are sometimes moved aud an acre Will yield three or four tons of fairly good hay. The tropical nature of the velvet bean, and the >3arearss ol the sea~onS, prevents it's maturing seed very far north of the GAt attitudes.
 Most of the seed is procured in Flor ida. About = pounds of seed per acre Yili he needed. This k little more than one and half peeks. The price per buSheI for trSt-class seed has all ways been very low in comparison with eovpea seed. have never paid more than $l50 hushel
 lu this locality good many acres If tue velvet bean have been planted this year Ne have found that in tho months of December and January 6 py5Ud when torage is usually rather scarce. these vines will make very good grazing for hogs and cattle It ha, been esfimated that when turned un der an acre of velvet beans is wortt from SS to S15 to the land