The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1918-06-29
CROP FAILURES MAY BE CHARG-
ED TO POOR SEED OR I'M
PROPER PLANTING.
IN0CULATE THE SEE D
Soy Beans May Be Grown as Money
Crop or May Be Cut
For Hay.

The soy bean has not been grown
in Louisiana to the extent that its mer-
its as an agricultural plant would JUS
tify, 1t is fairly we'll known to all,
and the fact that so many have tried
it and failed or else only halfway
succeeded in growing it successfully
probably accounts for it's lack Of popu-
larity as a farm crop.
Getting a stand Of the beans has
been the greatest obstacle to success
in growing the soy bean," says w. r.
Perkins, Directortof Extension, Louis
lana State University. "The failure
to secure a stand can probably be at
tributed to one or two things, poor
seed or improper planting. The first
can easily be avoided by purchasing
seed that have been tested for ger
mination. The second trouble is gen.
orally due to poorly prepared seed bed
or planting too deep. 1t is crop that
requires better preparation of the soil
and more care in the planting than
the average farmer Is in the habit OF
giving to his farm crops. The soil
should be well pulverized, and there
should be abundance of moisture pros
ent without being too wet when the
planting is done. One can well afford
to wait for such condition in the soil
because the planting season is long
running from April Is to July 1 or
later. The seed should be covered not
less than one inch, nor more than one
and one-half inches deep. This is inl-
portant.
"The question arises as to what the
crop is good for. First, it could be
considered a money crop. The seed
are very similar in composition to cot
ton seed, weigh about twice as much
to the bushel, and are sought after by
the oil mills for the oil they contain
and the feed cake that is obtained
after the oil is forced out. They
should bring about twice as much per
bushel as cotton seed or about the
same per ton. A crop on medium grade
land should produce about 20 bushels
per acre. The talks after threshing
make a good grade Of roughage for
cattle.
"1here are some difficulties encoun-
tered in harvesting the soy bean
crop: There is generally a lack OF
machinery for harvesting and thresh-
ing and considerable loss from the
popping of the seed pods in the field
While it is a splendid crop for the
purpose just mentioned we believe
that the really important place Of the
soy bean in Louisiana is for the max.
ing of hay.
"T'he hill and cut over pine sections
of the state should use soy beans ae
a substitute for alfalfa which will not
succeed in these sections The SOY
bean will make hay fully as palatable
and nutritious as alfalfa. 1t comes tc
maturity about the first of September
when the weather Is usually good fol
the harvesting of hay. 1t can be saved
much better and more economically
than cowpeas; it will make so pei
cent more hay on the same area ans
grade of land than cowpeas. and, We
believe, better hay. Cultivation fol
hay is practically the same as fo
grain. Plant in drills two and one
half to three and one-half feet apar
so that the plants will not lap in th'
row. Have a plant every two or thre'
inches in drill and harvest when tn
/ seed pods are full, but before the 70
liage begins to show signs of ripen
ing. Cut with moving machine ant
throw into narrow tall cocks while still
green, allow to stand thus four to sev
en- days and then put in barn or stack
"All kinds of stock are very fond o
1t. Try it as hay plant and be con
vinced. Use the Mammoth Yellow o
Biloxi varieties. Inoculate the see
and plant about one-half bushel to tn
acre"