The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1919-07-10
About the Velvet Bean.

4 visitor at this office some weeks
ago was Mr. Dallas Jones, of Shreve-
port, who. as Oh previous occasions.
had much to say about the virtues OF
the velvet bean. From listening to
him one would gain the impression
that in championing this crop he Is
second in genuine ardOr only to his
chief. Hon. Harry ID. Wilson, OF Baton
Rouge. State Secretary Of Agriculture.
They both seem to think that the vel
vet bean is to I've one Of the big future
crops of the Soutll-a good friend to
the poor mainland to put many Il
velvet dollar in his pocket through
the means of cheap winter feed for
his stock.
In the fulfilling Of his duties Mr..
Jones travels throughout the greater
norton Of North Louisiana, and the
coming of the friendly velvet bean as
| Il fixed crop on our farms has, OF
course. come directly under his notice.
| In setting forth the claims of the new
| crop he has had lot to say, but III
later conversations Mr.. Allen Byrd
and other good farmers of this section
have vouched for the authenticity OF
these several statements, which more
firmly fixes our faith in this crop. TIVE
Of these stories as related by MI
Jones will perhaps prove of more thai
passing interest to the reader:
One farmer who had never had an!
experience with the velvet bean wa
highly pleased one day to find that tn
. beans were coming up among his corr
! where planted. AS the season passe'
the bean vines became very luxurian
l and literally covered his corn. III
: farmer. being ignorant Of the charat
t teristics of the velvet bean, though
e they would ripen and he ready t
5 harvest by the time the corn was m;
$ tured. His disappointment was kee
l when he found that his corn. WA
) ready to he gathered and that til
:. beans were still green. His farl
e hands made several Intellectual effort
i to gather the corn, but were. to gre;
r measure prevented in doing so on a
I count of the abundance of bean vine
l. in the way With his corn crop b'
It partially harvested. lie turned his Gu
:. tie and stock into the patch, but the
d refused to eat the beans. Becomil
II disguised. he began to tear down h
.e fences i'll places, hoping that outsi'
ii cattle would come in and destroy Il
l. crop. 4 friend. who knew the got
Is qualities of the bean. came along, a
- viSed the farmer to close the gaps
n his fences and await the coming
Id frost. The farmer took the advit
ID When frost eventually fell on the cr'
Is he turned his stock in. and had sui
ly cient forage to last them througho
H. the winter. He became Il convert
In the bean.
Mt Another farmer. who lives at Ii;
he Summit. in Red River Parish plant
Is eight acres to corn and velvet bear
III When the crop had ripened he turn
Id eight head of cattle and a number
Id hops in the field. The animals p;
ne tured on the eight acres all winter a
d. were kept in good condition.
ok farmer finding it unnecessary to b
any other feed. He killed his he
right off the patch and found them
10 I've in as good condition as griin-f
W. stock. Also. the yield of milk from
IN cows was increased and the but
ar was firm and of excellent quality.
nm was his first experience with the
- vet bean, and he planted after his CT
NJ was up. but this season lie has plant
rs at the same time he planted his G.
~, and hopes for still better results.