Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-04-02

Every land owner should emphasize
the production of certain food crops
during the present year. Will &C tton
comes under this class, it is of course
grown for a special purpose, and while
we must not lose sight of it's food value
and its essential nature generally, it is
important TO remember that we must
have a great variety of other crops in
order 20 feed and maintain our livestock
satisfactorily and provide the food nee
essary for the maintenance of human
beings.
one of the crops which is now at
tracing the favorable attention of our
people is the soy bean. IL is COM
paratively new crop to the southeastern
country. On the soils of the coastal
plans area where sands predominant, it
is likely that the peanut will be found
the most profitable and desirable le-
gume to grow, both as a producer of
food for man and for grazing down by
hogs. On the heavier clay soils of the
Piedmont area, however, the soy bean
will prove the more valuable crop for
this purpose. The peanut does not do
so well on heavy soil as on lighter
one. The reverse is true of the soy
bean. The soy bean is valuable for oil
and meal production, and also for graz
ing down by hogs. Since il can be har-
vested by them, material saving can
be effected in labor in year when it
is scarcer than in many seasons. This
one thing should commend, it to the
favorable attention of our farmers.
The yields of soy beans obtained on
the college farm at Athens indicate
that an acre will ordinarily carry six
teen 100-pound hogs from two to four
weeks. If several acres are planted to
"a of hnf at
so as TO provide a succession of beans
for grazing, an extended area for har-
vesting by hogs is thus provided and
the animals may be made to practically
finish themselves on this crop. In
grazing soy beans il is important to
remember that the field should have a
sufficient number of hogs on ii to uti-
liZe all tn ebeans in from four to six
inches. If left longer the pods will
burst when fully matured and as a re-
suit the beans are wasted. Hogs should
not be turned on this crop to Craze it
down until the beans are in the dough
stage. They eat them with avidity and
will harvest the crop very thoroughly
once they become accustomed to graz
ing on il. In order to have a success
sion of beans for grazing throughout
the summer and fall, successive plant
ings should be made about two to four
weeks apart. Another method is to
use late and early maturing varieties.
Either one of these plans is practicable.
There is another point in favor OF
this crop for grazing hogs. The pork
obtained is finely marbled, is firm, of
fine flavor and the hogs kill out to
advantage In other words. they do not
shrink materially. Corn feeding does
not seem to be as essential with this
crop to the extent it is with some other
legumes. This is a decided advantage.
Soy beans also belong to the family of
iegumcs and are valuable as soil build
ers. Like all legumes they need to be
! literally fortified with acid phospha tie,
and in normal times some potash can
be used to advantage as well. Two to
three hundred pounds of acid phosphate
can be used even at present prices
under the drill row with this crop
to advantage. 1t is not necessary to
irOcUlate the seed as rule, and car
riers of nitrogen need not be applied
certainly to any appreciate extent.
This crop should not be planted in
discriminatory as il is rather particular
about the type of soil it likes. 1t
does not make satisfactory yields either
on poor land nor that which is not
web drained. 1t is not well adapted
for growth with corn. IT is infinitely
better to plant il by itself. There
are other crops much better adapted for
use with corn and they should be re-
served for combination Herewith.
When planting this crop for grazing