Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1921-04-27
VELVET BEANS I'm
The Best and Surest Summer Leaums
for South carolina-Great for Food
and Fertility, Says N. e. Win.
ters, Extension Auronor,ist,


be grown In South Carolina for feed,
pasture, and soil improvement, velvet
beans probably head the list for the
following reasons: .
They make fairly good growth on
the poorest land in the South
They make bigger growth than
almost any other legume.
Because Of their growth they take
large amount OF nitrogen from the
atr; and when plowed under or pas.
tured of and all residue and manure
incorporated with the soil, most OF
this nitrogen and large amounts Of or
gantic matter are added to the soil
Every ton Of growth may add to the
soil from rs to 30 pounds Of eXpen
sive nitrogen.
They will make more milk and meat
per acre as pasture next fall and
winter than anything farmers can
plant this spring.
Last, but not least, when planted in
corn they help to check that Fodder
pullin' disease" an antiquated and ex-
pensfve method OF making feed.
Varieties.
Probably the best varieties for
South Carolina are the Early Speckled
or Ninoty Day, and the Osceola. The
former natures in about 100 days and
the latter in about 100 days. The Os-
toola makes a larger growth Of zine
and foliage and larger pods than the
Early Specklcd: but as 1t needs about
40 days longer period. it is not so well
adapted to the upper part of the state.
The Early Epeckicd natures any
where in South Carolina. Livestock
usually eat the EARLY Specified more
readily than the Osceola, although
they like both.
Method Of Planting.
Velvet beans make more seed and
better pasture If they have treilis to
run on, and corn Is the most profit
able trellis. Most velvet bean grow
ers plant them in their corn, in alter
nate rows with the corn, using corn
rows IL to feet wide. If the length
OF season permits, it Is good plan to
plant the beans from 20 to 80 days
after the corn, which permits tho
corn to make more growth before tho
beans begin to entwine around it, and
results in the corn standing up better
at harvest time.
Another method adapted to the up
per part OF the state especially Is to
lay off all rows about four feet apart
and plant every third row to velvet
beans with corn in the two rows be-
tween This is especially advisable
where 'UH Ieans are planted at the
same time as the corn, as 1t takes
longer for the vines to cover the corn
and usually leaves better opening
between the two corn rows in which
one may walk in gathering the corn.
Amount Of Seed Per Acre.
Farmers are using from one to two
pecks Of seed per acre for planting in
corn, planting from IL to "a inches
apart in the drill. If planted alone in
rows, about one bushel OF seed per
acre If required, or about six pecks
broadcast.
Effect on Corn Crop.
The first year the beans may re-
duce the yield Of corn about two bush
els (about the same reduction as pull
ing fodder causes): but the next year
following crop Of velvet beans the
yield of corn is likely to he increased
about 33 per cent, and cotton about rs
percent On poor soil the increases
are often more than this.
Fertilization and incubation.
It is usual TO fertilize the corn as
you otherwise would and let the velvet
beans use what the corn doesn't get.
Some farmers increase the amount of
their corn fertilizer for the benefit Of
the velvet beans. 1t Is never neces-
sary, however, to increase the amount
OF ammonia in the fertilizer for vel
vet beans.
Velvet beans use the same inocula-
ton AS cowpeas, peanuts, and lespe-
deZa or Japan clover, hence inocula-
tion is practically never necessary, as
our soils are already inoculated for
them
Velvet Beans-Good Business.
Velvet beans are the safest and
surest summer legume for South Caro-
lima, and we are not going to be the
prosperous state that God intended
until every cornfield in South Carolina
is wrapped up in velvet beans every
year.
In most OF our soils nitrogen Is tho
limiting element in crop production.
1t is also the most expensive part OF
the fertilizer that we buy. Nearly
thirty million dollars was spent In
1920 by the South Carolina farmers
for nitrogen; yet 1t Ia estimated that
one square mile Of the air contains
enough nitrogen to supply the whole
world for fifty years for crop prOduc-
ton. There are $4,000 tons OF nitro
gen in the air above every acre lust