Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-05-12

advanced in our estimation as has
the velvet bean in several OF its vari-
cites.
In low cost OF production per unit
Of feed value, in its palatableness to
all kinds OF livestock, and in its adap-
liability over a wide range OF soil and
cultural conditions. no other crop has
surpassed II in our experience.
The velvet bean. Of which the com
mon black Maurftius or Bengal bean
extensively used for green manur-
ling purposes In the Kahala district
and the best known example locally
lis a rank growing legume, usually
|classed as an annual. But when pas
tured or harvested before the vines
are fully matHred the plant may per
sist for several years without replant-
| ing. We have obtained our best
stands and heaviest growth from re.
seeding by blowing under a fully ma
tured crop as green manure. Even
when closely pastured the residue
from heavily pastured matured crop
will leave enough seed to replant the
area more thickly than it originally
stood. 1t may be said in general that
where only partial success is obtained
| from a first planting, reseeding by
| the above method will almost always
insure success.
General Appearance
In general appearance the plant re-
sembles the rank trailing type OF
cowpeas, but the velvet bean Will out
yield the cowpea two to one over an
extended period Of growth. The vel
vet bean may be characterized by it's
long season of growth and consequent
4 maturity during the late tall months
4 This quality is especially important
| To the stock raiser whose natural
1 pastures usually become. very scant
i during that season OF the year. At
Il Haiku seven TO eight months are re-
4 uuired to mature the Mauritius bean
and five TO six months for the variety
/ Brasiliensis. OF the latte variety We
| shall presently have more to say.
| Other qualities that make the vel
vet bean valuable are its apparent
4 immunity to the attacks OF aphls'
the common plant louise so destructive
II To the valuable covpea. The, meaIy'
i hing has been reported on the Velvet
| bean, but this pest does not usually
do serious damage. The fact that the
j velvet bean is tolerant Of rather wet
4 and heavy, tenacious soils, is another
Il important advantage possessed by few
II legumes.
i Varieties
There are at least a dozen estab'
i lished varieties of the velvet bean
most of these nave been tested out at
| the Hawaiian experiment station and
the Haiku sub|station. AS has been
pointed out in former paper, the I'M
pottanee of comparative tests OF va
1 rieties Cannot be over estimated. 1t
lis only through such tests that We
have been able % determine upon the
i greas ysluc OF some members OF this
genas for the atoclanan. valuable as
Eft has always been fer g~een-manurinS
purposes. II .>
/ The following varieties have been
i grown on a fieti scale at the Haiku
i sub-staiiun and our conclusions are
L based mainly on these experiments
which have now passed through three
years OF trial: ,.-.s>
/ Mauritius or Eengal Bean, a very
rank, laIe maturing variety oespeelalls
suited for green manarlns Z. on to"s 81
fallqw lands, put also supplylns an an
abundance OF nutrltlo0s pdst ,' Sc
when cattle and hogs, as well as
horses and mules, become accustomed
to 81 Is =.
Florida Velvet Bean-Fhls variety Is
also late maturing. Il produces s a rsnA
growth like the Mauritius bean ana Is
OF about equal value. It Yields aouno-
antly a short thick pod eontanlns
three to five seeds. In contract 10 the
coaEblack seed OF the Maurltius oean,
the Florida beans seed Is pioteheu
with dark brown or black on gray
ground The Florida bean SEEDS
rather heavier with as than the plack
Manritius variety.
Seed Of both the above varieties can
usually be bought IN commercial guam
titles, the for-as- from local growers
and the latte: rom southern seeds'
men. st..- o.