The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1917-02-09
The Soy EcIn.

The soy bean, which has reacheo
a place of unusual ecC~ Cmic impor-
lance in Asia and Europe as a mater
J ial from which fooi.tuffs, cattle
feed, fertilizer. and Oil suitable for
variety of uses may he manufactur-
ed. should become increasingly i'm
portant In the United States to both
farmers and manufacturers. While
tho bean may he grown throughout
the humid and semihumid sections
of the South and in the southern por-
ton OF the corn belt, II thrives e5-
pecially well in the cotton growing
regions. For this reason, according
to a recent publication OF the United
States Department of Agriculture,
Department Bulletin 439, it offers
an excellent opportunity to cotton
planter for adjusting his farm plans
to Offset the damage to cotton in
tlicted by the boil weeyii. On the
other hand, since valuable oil may
he pressed from the beans in cotton
seed-oil mills, and since boll-weevil
activities tend to lessen cottonseed
production, the growing of soy beans
in the South should greatly interest
the owners OF oil mills. The produc
ion Of soy beans IN considerable
quantities may, in fact, be needed in
some seasons to keep the expensive
equipment of the mills operating pro-
ftably.
From the farmers point of view
the existence of the many oil mills
in the South and the probability that
by furnishing a demand for soy beans
these concerns will make the legumo
n imnortant cash crop should great
ly facilitate the Introduction of the
rev product on commercial scale.
Soy teans should he OF additional
interest to farmers, since, as in the
case of other legumes, their culture
improves the soil. II q sustained de-
mand for them can be built up,
therefore, soy beans can be intro
duced advantaeeously into rotation
with cotton, furnishing at the same
time a second important cash prod
uct and a soil-improving crop.
The recognition of the possibili-
ties of bringing about the production
of soy beans on q commercial basis
in the South is not based only on the
economic importance OF the crop In
Asia, where its production on large
scale has been established for many
years. or on the established market
for the beans practically throughout
Europe. Soy beans have been grown
for forage in this country for many
years, and their adaptability to 4
wide range of climatic and soil con-
ditions has been fully demonstrated.
In recent years the crop has been
grow 10 Pc. increasing extent for It's
seeds in eastern North Carolina. A
large pro action Of the beans in this
section In 1918, together with the
occurren~o o a Cottonseed shortage,
led to the cyrcrin entail pressing Of
consider lie quantity of beans by
/ local oil mills. These experiments
were entirely satisfactory, and tho
mills participating in them are now
taking an active part in the devel-
! opmont OF this new industry with
. hmerican-grown beans. Oil mills on
the Pacific coast hove been operating
! for several years with soy beans i'm
ported from Manchuria and have
! found ready sale in this region for
tho oil, cake, and other products.
The soy bean can be grown success
| fully on nearly all types of soil and
has about the same range of eli
matte adaptation as varieties of
corn. The growing and handling OF
the beans are accomplished almost
entirely by machinery in this coun-
try. the ordinary farm equipment
meeting all the requirements Of the
crop. In large bean-growing dis
tricts special harvesters for gather
ing the seed In the field are used
quite successfully. The cost OF pro-
duction varies from $3.50 to sl2 per
acre. depending on the methods en-
ployed in growing and handling the
crop. The market price per bushel
of seed for sowing purposes varies
in different sections. ranging from
81 In large seed-Droducing sections
OF the south 10 So and SO per bushel
in the Central and Middle Atlantic
States, Yields Of seed to the acre
in various sections Of the rp""d
States range from about I5 bushels
Of 90 nnmnAa nnnh In Ihn NnrIhCrn