Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1918-01-04

longer cheap. For plant
ing, they cost the farmer this sea-
son from sic to So a bushel. The
food price at retail is consider
ably higher. Therefore, it becomes
no man to refer irreverently to
the bean, whether 1t be red, white,
black or mottled, or whether it be
baked, boiled or made into soup.
Professor corbett, although a horti-
eulturist by profession. knows more
about beans than anyone else in the
country. We may accept his state
ment. therefore, that the bean, which
grows practically everywhere except
at the North pole, is going to play
large part In helping to bring Ger
many to terms. He says it was the
bean that put down the Civil war. and
then whipped Spain in 1898 So why
shouldn't 1t make as fine record In
the present confiict7
Previous to 1861, according to Pro-
fessor Corbett, beans were not much
used in this country on the table-bar-
ring, perhaps, the city of Boston. AT
that time our railroads were very
crude and they found 1t almost iTnpos-
sible to keep the federal armies sup
piled with guns, amunition and cloth
ing, so in the WHtter of food bulk was
eliminated as faI as possible. Beans
being light in weight, and, moreover.
very nourisiiing made an ideal food
under the conditions prevailing, so the
Northern quartermasters began to buy
them in large quantities and ship them
to the soldiers at the front.
The soldiers waxed strong on beans
likewise their taste for them grew
amazingly, so that when the war was
over and they returned to their homes,
they asked for beans. Thus market
was created, where no market existed
before, and farmers began 70 grow
them. The bean industry, therefore
may be said to have been created by
the Civil war. While beans made nc
millionaires, they increased the pros.
perity of farmers in the North ind in
time became valuable crop through
cut the South.
For years beans have formed one OF
the principal articles Of food for ths
soldiers in our regular army During
the Spanish war they ate great guam
titles of them, down on the Mexicat
border they did the same thing. anC
now In France the story is being re
peated 1t is not only our troops, how
ever, that are being fed on beans
British and French soldiers are living
on them, and the American product, al
that. When autocracy has been con
quered and democracy rules the world
credit should be given to the bean fol
the part 1t has played In bringing
shout such a condition.
Fifty years ago the acreage in beans
In this country was small, but it has
been growing steadily Last year 95O,-
900 acres were planted to beans. the
yield being 100000 bushels. The 1915
crop did better. $4,000 acres yielding
something like 100000 bushels. Last
year there were good many foreign
buyers In the market, and this fact,
coupled with the smaller crop, caused
the farm price Of beans to jump from
$3.50 bushel in 1915 to $500 bushel
in 1916.
Farm value means the price tfas
the grower receives. Very few, If any,
consumers bought beans even for So
a bushel. AS the stock disappeared
from the market the price mounted
higher and higher. 1t might be sup.
posed then. that the acreage this year
would break all previous records. But
with seed selling as high as So q
bushel, or 20 cents pound, and
mighty little at even such unheard-of
prices, farmers preferred to take a
chance on some other crop with which
they were more familiar.
Beans are planted late in the spring
after the ground gets warm. The crop
is easily cultivated and readily shipped
and stored Under average conditions.
Weld of ten to fifteen bushels per
acre can be expected In most states.
The greatest amount of labor is need
ed at harvest time. On account of the
lack of special bean machinery, expe-
rience In handling the crop and the
labor market, it is probably desir-
able policy for many to grow small
acreages rather than for a few 70 at
tempt large aereages.
The navy or pea bean is the leading
commercial variety Of dry beans. 1t Is
also called the soup bean. The demand
for this variety is well established, a
point which is much In the growers
favor. 1t is also probably the most
prolific variety under most conditions.
II is listed under various trade names.