South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-02-17
SOY BEAN IS
A USEF Ill CROP
May Be Utilized in Greater
Number of Ways Than AL
most Any Other Product.

The soy bean, which already is
one Of the most important cash
crops of Asia and which promises TO
take an important place in the ag-
ricultural industry of the United
States, may be utilized In a greater
number and a greater variety of
ways than almost any other agricul-
tural product. The whole beans may
be utilized for food as are the seeds
of other legumes. or the oil alone
may tie consumed. The oil resembles
that of cotton seed in many ways,
but is of a more pronounced drying
character. In addition 10 its avail
ability as a food, soy-bean oil has
found important uses in the markets
of the world for making paints, var
nishes, soaps, rubber substitutes,
linoleum. waterproof goods, and
lubricants. II is also used in the
orient for lighting and in the manu-
facture of printing ink.
In Japan the soy bean forms one
of the most important articles of
food in use 1t is one of the prip-
cipal ingredients in the manufac-
ture of shoyu (soy sauce)' misc
(bean cheese), tofu (bean curd),
/ and natto (steamed beans). The
beans are eaten also as a vegetable
and in soups; sometimes they are
picked green, boiled, and served cold
with soy sauce, and sometimes as
salad. A vegetable milk" is also
produced from the soy bean, form
ing the basis for the manufacture
of the different kinds of vegetable
| cheese. This milk is used fresh, and
a form of condensed milk is manu-
! featured from il. All of these food
for the poorer classes are the prin-
cipal source of protein.
The use of the meal remaining
after the oil is extracted from soy
| beans has become an important fac
| tor in several European countries
during the last few years, and 10
some extent in America, as a food of
low starch content. Soy beans con-
tain at the most but a slight trace Of
starch, and extensive experiments
in America and Europe indicate the
value of the bean and it's products
as the basis Of foods for persons re-
quiring a low starch diet. SOy-bean
| flour enters largely as a constituent
in many of the so-called diabetic
breads. biscuits, and crackers manu-
featured as food specialties. The
! -four or meal can be used success
/ fully in the household as a constitu-
ent of mullins. bread. and biscuits
in much the way in which corn meal
/ is used.
Soy-Bean Milk.
An artificial milk like that manu-
featured in the orient has been pro-
| dUced in small quantities in the
/ United States, and recently a factory
/ has been equipped to make this
! produst. Such milk can be used for
] cooking in the household and by
bakers, confectioners, and chocolate
manufacturers If, however, the milk
from the soy bean is used in the
manufacture of products as a sub
stitute for milk, the labels of such
products should indicate that the
substitution has been made; other
wise it would constitute adulteration
under the food and drugs act.
In addition TO its uses for flour
and milk, the soy bean can be pre-
pared as human food in numerous
ways. The green bean, when from
three-fourths TO full grown. has
been found TO compare favorablY
with the butter or lima bean. The
soy bean has been utilized not only
in the United States but in Euro
pean countries as a substitute for
the coffee bean. When roasted and
prepared il makes an excellent sub
stitute for coffee. In Asia the dried
I beans. especially the green-seeded
varities, are soaked in salt water
and then roasted, this product being
eaten after the manner of roasted
peanuts.
Stock Feed.
The value Of soy-bean meal for
producing meat. milk and butter is
well established. 1t is one of the
cheapest of the highly heterogeneous
feeding stuffs and is therefore one
of the most economical for balanc-
ing rations deficient in nitrogen.
Its use in America is confined at
the present time almost entirely 10
the Pacific states, where it is con-
sidered a valuable feed not only by
dairymCn but also by poultrymen.
Owing 10 its high content of pro-
rein, the meal should be used with
the same precautions as are OBJ
served with other highly concen-
tTated feeds TO avoid digestive
troubles. AS regards digestibility,
soy-bean meal compares very favor
ably with other oil meals.
The utilization OF soy-bean meal
for fertilizing purposes has been
confined almost entirely 10 AsiatiC
countries. Following the recent
production in the southern states of
bean cake and oil from American
grown beans. however. fertilizer
manufacturers have taken an active
interest ia the fertilizing posi- bill
ties OF the meal Analyses by the
United states department OF agri-
culture have shown that while SOY