The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1920-09-09
MOUNTAIN AGRICULTURE
by Farm and Special
Invest
Investigator

soy beans and corn.
Soy Beans for Ensilage
The use Of soy beans alone as en-
silage is not TO be recommended.
Good results are reported where soy
beans and corn are mixed, three parts
Of corn and one part Of soy beans, IN
filing the silo. This silage keeps
well. is readily eaten by stock, and
the animals show good gains in flesh
or milk production.
Soy Beans for Seed
Thus far. soy beans have been a
very profitable crop when grown for
seed. but the industry has been de-
veloped mainly in a few sections,
such as eastern North Carolina. The
character of its growth, its uniform
maturing habit, and its large yield
Of grain recommend the soy been for
seed production. Under ordinary con-
ditions. the best varieties of soy beans
will yield from 90 to so bushels to
the acre. The cost Of producing the
crop when the beans are planted in
rows is generally about the same as
for corn.
The feeding value Of soy bean seed,
which contains about 35 per cent of
protein. is very high and compares
favorably with other concentrated
feeds. For feeding to animals the
seed is ground and used with some
less concentrated feed. Experiments
comparing soy-bean meal and cotton
seed meal indicate that soy bean meal
is superior to cottonseed meal both
for milk and butter production.
When grown for grain alone, soy
beans may be cut at any time from
the yellowing of the upper leaves I'M
til all of the leaves have fallen. The
plants should remain in the field un-
til the seed is thoroughly cured. In
harvesting the crop for seed, a self
rake reaper or a mower with bunch
ing attachment will do very satisfac-
tory work. With the taller varieties,
a self-binder can be used. If only a
small area is grown, soy beans may
be cut with a sickle or pulled, tied in
bundles, and failed out when thoro-
ly dry.
Soy beans may be thrashed with an
ordinary grain thrasher, with a few
The cylinder should be
run at one-half the speed used in
grain, but at the same time,
the usual rate should be maintained
for the rest of the separator. In
order to prevent splitting the beans,
some of the concaves should be re-
moved. Special bean and pea separa-
tors are now on the market and do
very satisfactory work. Soy beans
may be thrashed in the field with
out previous stacking, or they may
be stacked or housed and thrashed
later. For the best results soy beans
should be thoroughly dry for thrash
ing; otherwise, much of the seed will
remain unthrashed.
Supt. c. E. Houk, Berea College
Farm, has a large acreage Of Soy
Beans which he expects to harvest
for seed. Farmers who are interested
in seeing his method should make it
a point to see Mr.. Houk and find out
when he expects to harvest.
Storing Soy Beans
After the beans are thrashed, they
should be placed in shallow bins or
spread out on floor for a time. The
massing of large quantities of beans,
if they are not thoroughly
dry, will cause them to heat, thus
termination. Under what.
ever conditions they are stored, the
seed should be examined occasionally
to detect any tendency to heat. Soy
beans do not retain their germinative
power as we'll as cowpeas. Germina-
ton tests indicate that it is not advis-
able TO SOW seed two years old with
out previous testing.