The states-graphic. (Brownsville, Tenn.) 1???-1984, 1917-09-28
HARVESTING SOY BEANS.
inexperienced Growers Should Inform
Themselves as to proper Methods
and Avoid losses.

For the benefit Of farmers who are
beginning to sow soy beans for grain
rather than for hay and who are I'M
familiar with the handling of the
plants under the former conditions,
the United States Department of Agri-
culture will shortly publish a farmers
bulletin, Harvesting Soy Beans for
Seed" The demand for these seeds in
the production of oil, feed cake and
other bean products is rapidly increas-
ing and the farmers of the United
States are preparing to meet this de-
mand.
The character of growth, the uni
form maturing habits, and the heavy
seed yields of the soy beans, says the
bulletin, contribute to the ease of har-
vesting and Recommend the plants for
seed production. The many disadvan-
tages which attend the harvesting of
cowpeas for seed are not common to
the soy bean. When grown for grain
alone the SCATTERING of the pods of the
soy bean is a serious fault, and expert
enced growers are likely to sustain a
heavy loss of seed through al ack of
knowledge and improper handling of
the soy bean plant. The SCATTERING
varies with the variety of the bean. 1t
is well, however, with most varieties,
to give special attention as maturity
approaches to prevent serious losses
prom this cause.
In general the best time for har-
vesting, except where special bean har-
vesters are used, is when about three
fourths of the leaves have fallen and
most of the pods have turned color. If
cut at an earlier stage the plants are
difficult to cure properly, and the yield
will be lessened materially on account
of the immature grain. On the other
hand, if the plants are allowed to be-
come too ripe, the pods will shatter be-
fore being cut, and much seed will be
lost. When special harvesters are u.s.
ed to gather the seed, the plants must
reach full maturity to obtain the best
results.
Various methods of harvesting the
crop are in use in different sections
where the soy bean is grown largely
for seed production. The crop may be
cut with ordinary moving machines,
self-rake reapers, self-binders, or even
with scythes, sickles or corn knives.
The beans also may be harvested with
a special bean harvester which gathers
the grain from the standing plants.
When the plants are cut before ma
turity, they are cured in the shock and
allowed to remain in the field until a
convenient time for t~hreshing. If
thoroughly dry they may be housed
and threshed later.
Threshing may be done with an or
binary grain separator, but if this ma
chine is used it must be altered some
what to prevent cracking of the beans
In some cases a special set of thin
concaves is used for threshing beans
and in other instances some of the con-
caves are removed. Good Judgment on
the part of the thresherman will en-
able him to adjust the ordinary sepa-
rator so that the beans may be thresh-
ed with little splitting. Special pea
bean separators are on the market,
and their use may be advisable when
large acreages of the beans are to be
handled. If thoroughly dry soy beans
can be threshed with a fail. If only
a small acreage is to be threshed-an
acre or so-this method is practica-
BILE and economical. In a few sections
a corn shredder has been used to ad-
vantage in threshing beans. If prop
erly cured and dried out, the beans
shell out very readily with such a ma
chine.
The straw obtained from threshing
soy beans for seed is a valuable feed
for all kinds of stock. In many Sec
tions the straw is baled at the time Of
threshing and sold to liverymen, dali
rymen and stock feeders.
AS soy bean seed spoils rather easily
if not properly handled, care should be
exercised in curing and storing. At
ter the beans are threshed they should
be watched carefully to avoid heating
and holding. When thoroughly dry
there is no such danger. The best
plan, perhaps is to spread the seed
out on the floor Immediately after
threshing and shovel them over from
time to time until they are thoroughly
dry. After this they may be safely
put in sacks or bins. The store room
should be dry and with a free circula-
ton of air. Soy bean seed loses its
viability rather rapidly and it is not
safe to hold seed for planting purpo-
SEES more than two seasons. The seeds
of the soy bean, unlike those of the
cowpea, are rarely attacked by weevils
or other grain insects.
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