The Marietta journal. (Marietta, Ga.) 1918-1944, 1919-01-17
VELVET BEANS IN CORN
AND EFFECT ON YIELD

The following article, by c. K. Nc
Clelland, of the Georgia Experiment
Station, throws light on an important
subject and as it is from actual eX-
perience, it may be relied upon:
"Velvet beans must be grown with
some crop that will support the vines
and as corn is the crop usually used
for this support, it will be interesting
to know just what the effect of the
beans may be on the yield of corn.
''In 1916 we had one acre of corn,
one-third of which was planted in Chi
nese velvet beans at date of planting,
one-third in Early Speckled or Geor-
gia velvet beans, and one-third of
which was planted to the latter vari-
ETY. twenty days later, the first plant
ings being on April IA. The beans
were planted one or two in a place,
four to five feet apart in every row.
The summer of 1916 was very wet,
there being fifteen inches of rain in
July. The growth of the velvet bean
vines was very great, completely over
running and pulling down the corn.
The late planting of Georgia beans
yielded 1919 bushels, the early plant
ing 80 bushels, and the early planting
of Chinese beans gave 32.1 bushels
of beans. But nine bushels of corn
were gathered from the acre, while
the adjoining acre yielded twenty
bushels. Some corn was missed in the
tangled vines, but the reduction in
yield was about one-half, if we as
sumo one bushel to have been so
missed.
Gin 1917 the test was repeated with
three varieties, the Chinese, Georgia
and Osceola. The land on which the
first variety was planted was thin
upland, and these beans being vigor-
our growers materially cut down the
yield of corn. The yield of corn
where the beans were planted with
corn was 80 bushels, and where
beans were planted six weeks later,
90 bushels. With the Georgia vari-
ETY. on better grade of land the yields
were 2O.2 and 1877 respectively, some
difference in soil and especially in the
moisture favoring the corn where the
beans were planted early. With the
Osceola, the yield of corn with early
planted beans was ia, and with late
planted beans, "a bushels, the check
showing 20 bushels; the second plot
having some advantage in drainage.
"In 1918, with the Georgia variety
only, the results have been 14.2 bush
els with early planted beans, 1872 with
late planted beans, and 1876 on the
check, the late planted beans making
such little growth that yield of corn
was not interfered with, but the ear
lier ones making some reduction in
the yield of corn.
"From these tests and from obser-
vaton of the crops in our own general
fields, we conclude that the plant
ing of beans at the same time as the
corn will usually result in diminish
ed Weld of corn. If the beans be
planted four or five weeks later, there
may or may not be some diminutlon
in Weld of corn according to the lux
uriance of growth of the beans, this
varying directly as the rainfall, but
influenced also by the fertility of the
soil.
"The yield of beans will be in direct
relation to the time of planting, as
the longer the time in which they
have to grow, the better they will
prosuce and they start off better from
an early planting, the moisture condi-
tions being better and the competl-
ton from the corn being less.
"There can be no question but
what the yields of beans will much
more than make amends for what
little they reduce the yields of corn
this, of course, results from the fact
that they continue to grow through
out the season, making considerable
of their yield after the corn has been
completely checked in its growth.
Even where the reduction in yield of
corn has been considerable as in 1916,
the yield of beans was from double