The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1917-03-25


but quite noticeable if you have the
three together. The foliage of the
Chinese is darker in color and the
pose are, as rule, larger than the
Lyon.
The Chinese Velvet bean natures
earlier, by about three weeks than
the Florida or Lyon beans. The pods
of the Chinese velvet crack open and
shatter the seed as soon as the pose
are mature. This means that the
beans must be gathered as soon as
ripe or there will be a great many
of the beans wasted.
Velvet Bean Hybrids.
We have been doing some breeding
with the velvet bean and we have
gotten good many hybrids, and we
have three worth bringing before
you. This is No. Sis (exhibit). It
has good deal larger seed than
either the velvet or Lyon or Chinese.
1t is from a cross between the Flor
ida velvet bean and the Lyon bean.
This particular hybrid natures two
weeks earlier than the old Florida
velvet. We have not grown it enough
yet to get much idea as to the yield
per acre, but it appears to be as
good as the velvet Of the Lyon. Like
the Lyon and Chinese, it skaters its
seed when the pods mature.
Here is another hybrid, No. 297
(exhibit). 1t resembles the other
somewhat, though not quite as dark
in color, but the pod is quite differ
ent, it is larger and has more velvet
on it. 1t is great deal more like
the ordinary speckled velvet bean.
Its pods too, shatter. This natures
about month earlier than. the Flor
ida velvet bean, about the same as
the Chinese.
Here is one more, No. 216 lex
hibit). This ripens at the same time
as the Yokohama, about 120 days
from planting. 1t is easily distin-
guished as it is lighter IN color, the
pod is not quite as large, and it is
little different shape. 1t is quite
different from No. 297. It does not
make as much growth of vine-a lit
tie more than the Yokohama, but
not nearly as much as the old Florida
velvet bean does.
/ AS Soil Improves
/ The various varieties of velvet
beans are by far the best crop to
grow for soil improvement purposes
Such varieties as the Florida velvet
Lyon velvet and Chinese velvet beans
! Oh e
. leaves. When the vines and leaves
of this crop are plowed under 1t adds
! large amount of humus to the soil
) The velvet beans being legume, the
! vines and leaves contain a large
3 amount of ammonia. 1t has been es
! timated that when an entire crop O.
t velvet beans are ployed under it will
' add as much ammonia as is contain
: ed in 1900 pounds of bright cottol
A seed meal.
f Much the same is true of othe,
!. leguminous plants. However, tn,
: amount of ammonia that may be lef
e in the soil by any leguminous plan
t depends largely upon the amount O
1 growth the crop makes. The large
the growth of vines, the more am
s monia and humus are added to tn
5 soil. There is quite a long list o
leguminous plants which are foun
in Florida. Out of this nunbe
t there are perhaps only three tina
e are employed to any large extent a
= soil improvers. These are of i'm
e portance in the order named. Velve
e beans, cowpeas and beggarweed. Tn
t advantages of velvet beans owe
= cowpeas are: ~ velvet beans ar
e not attacked by the nematode whic
r causes root knot; (2) velvet bean
= make heavier growth of vines an
leaves and so add more ammonia an
e humus to the soil; (3) velvet bean
= cover the ground the entire season
e (4) when velvet beans are killed b
= frost the vines and leaves go dow
|. on the ground together, and the mas
of vines tend to hold the leaves i
place until they are plowed under
n With cowpeas, only the leaves ia,
# when killed by frost; the vines re
; main in an upright position and tn
n wind tends to scatter the leaves.
= The yield that may be secure
from beggarweed is considerably be
! low the yield of velvet beans or COW
i peas. However, ton for ton thes
b three crops are about equal as
g source of ammonia and humus. On
g advantage beggarweed has over COW
peas, is that it is not attacked by tn
nematode which causes root knot.
v As Forage
|. Although the velvet bean does nc
b furnish a green pasture at any sea
e son of the year, yet it supplies goo
q protein foraging from December G
. January until grass comes in tn
spring.
!. The yield per acre varies accord
i ing to conditions, but from one to
E to one and half tons of beans in tn
/ pod is not too much to expect. TIL
/ velvet bean provides the best an
y cheapest protein that we can secur
from any winter forage crop that W
: can grow.
AS Feed