Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-03-12
VIRGINIA FARMERS FIND
SOY BEAN PROFITABLE
Any Failure to Produce Prob.
ably Caused by Lack Of
incubation.
WHEAT GROWN AT Los,
Many who Keep strict Account Of
Coat, Find Littic Left for Producer
with BTend GruIn mt Existing Level
of Prices.

i Cost, Find Littic Left for Producer
with Bread Grain mt Existing Level
of Prices.
BLACKsBURG. Va March H.
That the farmers OF Virginia arc
convinced OF the practical value OF
Soy beans lis proved conclusiveIy by
tho rapid increase in acreage devoted
to this crop during the past few
years According to the 1920 census
the number OF acres seeded to soy
beans Tor seed In this State has in
creased from twenty-nino acres I'm
1903 to 1929 acres in 1919. an aver
ago or practically 1000 acres per year
Tor the ten-year period. This enor-
nous increase in acreage rs due. OF
| course, 10 the fact that tho farmers
In the State arc beginning to realize
tho greater money value of tho soy
& bean crop over others that have in
tho past been produced ut a very
small profit. and In Romc cases, at II
= loss.
Wheat Is being produced In many
sections OF Virginia at loss. The
year book of the United States De-
partmcnt OF Agricultural. 1920. shows
! that the ten year average 19ll to
I92O) yield OF wheat for Virginia was
12.S bushels per acre. Tho average
OF several well kept cost accounts
show that II costs. under normal ocn-
ditions. sl6.50 to produce an aero Of
wheat In this State. At normal prices
for wheat this leaves very little. ~
any. profit beyond the cost OF produce
ton.
SOY Bcnns More Profitable.
Soy beans Will under ordinary con-
ditions produce az large, IL not larger.
yields per acre than Will wheat. The
cost OF producing soy beans. whether
sown In rows or broadcast. has been
ESTIMATED by competent authorities to
cost the same as that OF wheat. 1880
per acre. When wc consider that the
market value of soy beans in the past
has been about double that Of wheat
II can DO readily seen that II would
be profitable in most sections OF Vir-
E!nn To substitute COY beans for
part OF the wheat crop.
The ease with which the soy bean
bean crop viii tit into most rotations
'md their value whether grown for
seed. hay. hogginY down or soil Inn
provcncn;. seems TO be well under
stood and recognized By the average
81 farmer and VIII not be discussed
here
Il Good crops Of SOY beans may be
y IL oducod in practically all sections OF
failed to pct good results lack OF
finocu!a;ion has been the main cause
BY SOY beans nrc 10 be seeded on
: land tina, has not previously grown
This crop incubation Is abs olutely
tcccssary -or tho first year for there
is no other known lcgumc that will
noculate for them.
Good Variety Rcauisitc.
Il me variety OF SOY beans. just rs
In other crops, cNcrts a marked In
iiucnce upon the yield. There are
varieties which require longer grow
u ing periods than others. Some va
rictIcs are especially suited for seed
productions. others for hay, hogglnE.
down or soil Improvement. The use
to be made ~ the crop and the sec
ion in which II 10 to be seeded should
Severn tho selection Of i variety.
The Virginia Experiment Station
has conducted experiments. covering
H. period OF SIX years. 10 determine
me best varieties OF SOY beans for
Virginia conditions, and the purposes
for which they are best fitted.
ne experiments show that OF the
very early varieties the Black Eye
brow and Ito san stand out above
the rest. These two varieties can be
- cut for hay !n cighty-hve to ninety
days after seeding ana may be har-
vested for seed in about 10 days from
timc al planting. They viii produce,
on soils Of good fertility, IL to l6
tons OF hay and eighteen to twenty
3ushels Of seed per acre They arc
very short aud are only recommended
when carly varieties are needed for
hog pasture schemes or some similar
purpose.
or the medium carly kinds the Vir-
Bginia and Wilson varieties are rec
mmended. The results OF the cx-
= pc-iments show that these two va
rie'ics are far SUPERIOR. for general
purposes. to any OF the varieties yet
Infested. They may be used for hay
seed. or hogGing down and will give
,Nce!lcnt results In each case They
quay be cut for hay in about los days
#.nd will mature for seed In 1875 to
8:o days. On fertile soils they Will
yield 10 TO tons of hay and from
70 TO 30 bushels or grain per acre.
Other good varieties OF the medium
e. arly class for hogEing down and
seed production are Haberlandt and
F. ffollybrook. but due to their coarse
ness tt stems they are not recon-
. fnended TO be grown for hay. Both
o. IF these varieties require growing
period Of i've to ten days longer for
6aiay ana ten to fifteen days longer
II or seed than the Virginia or Will
-on In the experiment. conducted
he yield of hay OF these two varIe-
les ran from to 2.5 tons per acre.
e. rho Ilaberlandt producing twenty
seven bushels OF seed per acre and
he Hollybrook twcnty-one
For Lntc Planting.
The Mammoth yellow variety OF
soy bean Is without doubt the most
popular Of tho very late kinds, and
$ By far the most extensively grown
any variety in the United States.
NlthouGh the long growing period
cquired by this variety did not al
ow 1t to be grown In the expert
nent conducted at Blacksburg, re-
ults OF other experiments show that
"here 1t will mature 1t is not sur
PASSED by any other variety, I'm the
many purposes for which tie soy
,ean may be grown In that Il re
lures very long growing season. II
only adapted TO the eastern section
" tho State.
The varieties OF soy beans men
ioned In this article have proved
heir worth through actual EXPERT
n ients. conducted by tho Virginia
- Experiment Station. and arc racom