Daily picayune., 1921-03-01
BETTER FARMING HINTS NO. 2l VELVET BEANS
 By E. !. Watson.

mndS or many persons to dlScuSS Sucn a prosaic subject as "Velvet Beans". Whatever we may think about it, the chief problem of the Southern farmer, and the farmers in this section particu- larly, is, and will always be, the prob lem of soil fertility. How can we re- store and maintain fertility? We have been placing too much reliance on com mercial fertilizers, or, in other words, purchasing our fertility, or plant food. We recognize the fact that commercial plant food, or fertilizers, fill as impOr- tant place in modern farming but, they must not be the chief defiance. We should learn to produce, or grow, on our farms, a large amount of the plant food needed. instead of purchasing it from outside sources.
 We do not believe the Velvet Bean needs any introduction to the farmers of this section. Many of them are more or less familiar with it, but, none of us seem to appreciate its importance and what it is capable of doing for us when given the opportunity.
 Of many of the summer leguminous plants adapted to the South, the Velvet bean easily outranks them all as soil renovating crop. The chief value Of the Velvet bean is not as a hay crop, nor as grazing crop, except incidentally, but. it's outstanding value lies i'll its great capacity to produce large amount of humus forming material or organic matter and it's ability to gather the nitrogen from the atmosphere ana store if up in the nodules on the roots of the plant. This nitrogen becomes available for succeeding crops, thereoy effecting a direct saving in the pur chase of this most needed ana cosuy n,ant feed element. The large amount of organic matter produced by the vel vol hean likewise has a beneficial ef- | fact on the soil. and in the course or time becomes source of vaiuapie piah' food.
 There are many varieties of the vel
 vet bean. adapted to different regions
 of the South. The Florida Velvet bean,
 which reduires very long growing
 season for it's maturity, Is not adapted
 to this region. There are at least two early maturing varieties which makes
 very considerable growth of vine' and usually mature seed in this reg'oh'
 tho Early Speckled, or ninety day, ana tho Osceola. Either of these are adapt ed to this section. hose who nave tried these varieties, tell us they preier the Osceola, as it not only makes all abundant growth, but, batures a gooo cron of seed before killing frost. The Eearly Speckles will also do this' put the Osceola out yields it.
 There is no longer any doubt put that the best method of growing any va r,ety of the Velvet bean in this re- zion is to plant it between the rows of corn. or at least, to grow It wi'h the corn. either between the rows oi oorn or in the drill with the corn, ana as rule the latter method is to p preferred.
 rho Velvet bean is strictly hot weather plant. and it is useiess 'o pia"' tho seed until the coming Of warm weather On the other hand, 1t shonic he remembered that the Veivet pea" ,esuires rlatively long growing sea son for it's complete development ana relatively long growing season for its comn,ete development and maturity and as the plant grows slowly in the beginning, it must be planted Just as aar,v as conditions will permit.
 In the planting of Velvet beans Ill oroo of corn there is at least two points to keep in mind. First, the corn must have sufficient start before the beans a re nlanted so that it will not be over run and injured by the sro"ei' WI
 beans before the corn crop has time to reach maturity. Second, the planting of tbe bffeans must not be delayed top long. as the largest amount or gr"w'ii and maturity of the beans will not DC secured, and thus the farmer wo"'" not realize the greatest benefit rom them. A good plan therefore, wouio be to plant the corn early and give IL good start early in the season All things considered, the best tune TOT nla nting the beans would be when the corn has reached height of about two feet, or say from the first to the middle of May.
 When the intention is to plant Velvet ebans with the corn, the latter should