Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-11-20
THE FOOD VALUE or THE VELVET
BEAN

THE FOOD VALUE or THE VELVET
BEAN.
The velvet bean has suddenly become
one Of our most important and valuable
crops \ few years ago IL was pract-
CaIly unkuown and only cultivated by
practically few farmers. With the ad-
vent Of the boil weevil and the neces-
Sitv FOR practicing diversified agricul-
ture. il took on new lease Of life and
* now widely and extensively Guilt
waited throughout the southeastern
states The fact that IL can be grown
!u coUlbinatiO" with corn without inJur-
inE the latter crop. while adding mate
.i1ily 10 .is ySod value and e1richinG
the soil ~ ~ell. makes il ono OF our
most important and desirable assets. II
- believed that IN Georgia probably
twelve TO fourteen million tons OF beans
were produced this last year. while the
same pgopOTrionat" production holds
true 81 many other southern states.
-~His sudden increase 10 such extensive
-ropCrtions OF comparatively new food
.-.,p makes a more general understand
--.- and appreciation fits virtues ana
'he means by which IL may be utilized
highly important at this time. Hence
an endeavor viii he made to summarize
as briefly as possible some of the more
important facts concerning the velvet
bean and the best methods of feeding
and utilizing it under existing condI-
lions.
la the first place. the velvet bean
may be graZed just as il grew IN the
field Ii may he harvested and Ted
either III the dry form or after soaking
in water for from twelve to twenty
four hours To soften the bulls and the
beans thereby making II easier Tor most
classes of animals TO masticate and Ill
gest them The beans may be ground
IN the hull or they may be hulled be-
fore grinding Velvet bean meal IN
either of these forms may be fed singly
or i'm combination with other cereals ana
concentrates either produced or avail
able for use in the southern states. IL
will thus be seen that ii may be utll-
lied in great variety of ways, whlch
adds to its Importance and value as
food crop.
When velvet beans. including the pod,
are ground up it appears that 100
hounds of them contain about 14.9
hounds of digestible protein. ol.I
mounds of digestible carbohydrates and
as pounds of digestible fat. If the
huIIs are removed leo pounds of velvet
bean meal will contain approximately
Isl pounds of digestible protein, sos
pounds of digestible carbohydrates ana
50 pounds OF digestible fat. 1t Will thus
be seen that the addition of the hulls
lessons the feeding value to consid-
cradle degree 1t reduces the digestiole
protein by four pounds per 100 pounds
and the fat by pound and a half. Grind
ing the beans i'm the hulls is probably
not As much advantage as might al
first be thought except that it obvlates
the necessity Of hulling them. When
the beans and hulls are ground together
IL : important that they be reduced TO
g, fine condition: otherwise. there is some
danger that the coarse. hard particles
OF the bulls may cut or lacerate the IN
tesrines to some extent. This appears 10
be true at least i'm the case OF hogs II
The information which has been reported
IN rs may be regarded as reliable. This
c-op is So new and so comparatively lit
tie known about il that most suggestions
relative thereto must be taken at a
considerable discount at the present
writing.
As compared with other foodstuffs vel
got beans contain about half as much
digestibIe protein as soy beans, and
considerably less than half as much pro-
tein as peanut cake from Whlch the
bulls have been excluded. Peanut cake
i'm which hulls are included contain
somewhat more protein than velvet bean
meal and great deal more fat. NelYet
bpans contain about one and half times
. as much digestible protein as sooo
f-rade Of wheat brand and about twice as
much as corn. They are not excessively
rf.b in this element. though. OF course
they should be fed with discretion tc
most classes OF live stock, and paruc
uIarIv to horses and mules, which do not
REQUIRE . ration as rich as do some other
classes OF live stock. 1t will be seen
AT once that velvet beans will combine
I naf Otnn1
mill feed somewhat low in protein. The
addition Of velvet beans raises the con
tent OF this essential element in the ra-
ton to a desirable degree and over
comes inherent defects existing in corn
and other cereals i'm the matter OF q
deficiency Of protein.
For horses and mules velvet bear
meal and corn meal can be fed in equaI
vyoportions should there be any eYl
dence of surfeiting the system with
nitrogen reduce the velvet beans to one
third and increase the corn meal TO two
thirds. If this were done on every farm
IN the south A superior ration to that
, .so would he obtained and an adequate
r-arI-ct made available for velvet beans
! The ration of corn now almost eN-
clusiveIy fed TO our work stock would
be considerably cheapened and made &c
4 20 one-third further which is very I'M
lu-tant matter in view OF the nlBn price
/ az corn. Where this combination fer
10 work stock it would not be necessary
10 import corn. thereby lessening TT,
congestion on the railroads. 1t would
also enable US to avoid sending out ot
the south some millions of dollars fol
I q food product for which we have a
| satisfactory substitute at home.
/ For dairy cows the ration may con
Sist Of one-half 70 three-fourths Velve
beans with corn or some other cereal
About the same proportions will hole
true for hogs. except that toward th'
close of the feeding period they shod:C
. be fed for two to three weeks on
ration consisting largely of corn. ron
preliminary tests made here at the col
go. fhe velvet bean has made bet
4 ser record as a dairy feed than was an
4 t.-fpHied from the reports which hav'
\ beer. received from other sources. The
Il would thus seem to be an adequate mI"
yct To- all the beans we can produce
| Tie. will furnish a means, i'm othe
words. for charging our livestock r.
Cust~Ics. a very important and cssentia
matter i'm view of boil weevil ravlge
which are likely to become more aggrH
Il N1Ied i'm the future.
In yome tests made at the Florida sta
.icl = appears that where a mixture .
% pcUuds Of corn. - pounds of ve!Nc
BEANS i'm the pod. and 10 pounds of -ot
...r.c,g meal WAS fed 20 steers. a.