The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-07-22
Avoid Loss of
Soy Bean Seed
Cost of Harvesting Reduced
One-third by Combined
Harvester Thresher.

Losses of soy bean seed at harvest
time are greatly reduced and the cost
of harvesting the crop is lowered
about one-third bushel from what
it is with ordinary methods, when a
combined harvester-thresher is used
to gather the beans, according to tests
made by the farm mechanics depart
ment, college of agriculture, Univer-
sity of Illinois. Use of the combined
massachusetts is the most recent
method of harvesting the soy-bean
seed crop. To date the job of harvest
ing soy beans for seed or commercial
purposes has been the biggest problem
that the soy-bean grower has had to
meet. In fact, the grief encountered
in harvesting the seed crop, has pre-
vented more rapid increase in the
acreage of this legume, according to
/. P. Blauser of the college farm me-
chanics department. The harvesting
problem will become more important
as the commercial possibilities of the
soy bean are developed.
MethooS OF harvesting.
A survey made in Illinois gave the
following methods which were, used to
harvest the 1924 soy-bean seed crop:
Binder, 81 per cent; mower, 80 per
cent; pickers, 8 per cent; self-rake
reaper, 3 per cent, and pullers, per
cent. The same year SO per cent used
grain separators, 1875 per cent used
special bean threshers, and 5 per cent
used combined harvester-threshers.
The first combine in Illinois was
used by Garwood Brothers of Stoning-
ton, in October, 1924, to harvest PIP
acres of soy beans. That the machine
made successful demonstration is
evident from the fact that seven COM
bines were sold in Illinois by July,
1925, and twelve by October, 1925.
Tests have been made of the differ
ent methods of harvesting soy beans,
and losses in some cases were found
to be as high as IS per cent. Tests of
the combined harvester-thresher have
given loss of from 4 per cent to 10
per cent this past season even though
the weather conditions were extreme
~ bad. Beans harvested with the
combine gave much lower moisture
percentage, and also were of much
better quality. The combine can work
from two to five days sooner than the
threshing machine because the beans
dry out much more rapidly standing
hov IN, Oh ct;l
fields of beans in shock waiting to be
threshed.
Work of Illinois Machines.
Each combine in Illinois has har-
vested from 200 to $50 acres of soy
beans this past season. Twenty to 80
acres of soy beans can be harvested a
day with two men, one to drive the
tractor to pull the machine, and one
to operate the combine. Two to three
men and teams are needed to take
care of the threshed beans.
A combine should cut from $50 to
800 acres of grain each year to keep
the overhead charges an acre as low
as possible. There are limited num-
uci VI 1ulHio lildL nave Ihut manly
acres of soy beans to harvest each
year. However, the same machine
was used quite successfully in Illinois
to harvest wheat, oats, sweet clover,
red clover and timothy. Even then, if
the combined acreage is too small to
justify the purchase of a combine, sew
eral farmers can go together and pur-
chase one.
The combine user in Illinois AYERS
that he cannot get along without it
in harvesting soy beans.