Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1931-07-26
Cooer Crop Inquiry
Brings Information


The first Sesbania seed TO be
brought to the Valley vas intro
duced in 1880 BY Clyde Tandy. who
imported q ton OF seed from the
imperial Valley OF California
Plant Is Native
Much 70 his surprise, Mr.. Tandy
found out III California that the
seed he was buying there 70 in
troduce IN the Valley was from
4 plant native TO the very section
10 which he was bringing II.
Sesban Maricopa, TO give its
technical name. may be found
growing Wild in all sections or
this part or Texas, and Is called
"guaiilIo~ hy the Mexican natives.
II Is a true legume. adding as
much nitrogen to the soil as COW
peas. the other leguminous crop
planted in any quantity In the
Valley as a cover crop.
Backers of sesbania cite among its
manifold advantages the fact that
1t Is a rapid growth plant. attain
ing a final height Of 9 feet or
more. and making a foot a week
for the first six weeks.
1t grows better in hot weather.
In fact the seed viii not terminate
in cooler temperatures.
This characteristic Is OF course
most advantageous 20 It's further
planting as n cover crop in the Val
ley, especially In citrus orchards.
Stalk i Brittle
Stalk OF the plant IL said 10 be
extremely brittle. a most distinct
advantage when the crop Is plant
ed with the intention or blowing
the stalks under 70 furnish humus.
Usual method Is 70 disc 10 IN,
using a tractor for motive power.
The stalks produce an immense
amount OF tonnage, running from
30 TO 40 tons 70 the acre.
It Is not necessary 70 turn them
completely under. as II blowing
the disc breaks them into short
pieces. and a sufficient amount
will get under the soil to create
the necessary mulch.
When the pod Is In the Cough
Is the proper time for discing un-
der. all authorities agree.
AS q usual thing. eight weeks
from the time or planting and the
crop Is ready 10 be disced.
No 5 for sesbania other than
as a fertilizer crop has been dis
covered.
Only a ton or seed was brought
To the Valley last year BY MI. Tandy
who gave the crop a through test
ing during the summe months.
Is Hardy Crop
He found that not only would
the new cover crop make an excell-
ent showing on any land where
cowpeas thrive, but that II would
grow on land where cowpeas will
not grow satisfactorily.
As q result of his experiments,
ne estimates that sesbania viii add
approximately ten times as much
fertility 70 the soil as viii the
same acreage devoted to cowpeas.
The plant Will not seed itself,
and there IS no danger OF sesban-
Ia ever becoming a field pest, all
reports show.
Farmers Of the Valley are advised
that they can get excellent results
with seed saved from their own
crops. but that the seed must be
scarified TO secur successful ger
mination. All seed imported in
70 the Valley has been Scarified. II
Is stated.
Paintings Increase
How paintings OF sesbania in
the Valley have increased since
the cover crop was first introduced
here a little more than a year ago
may be seen IN figures which show
an estimated lbs tons OF seed sold
in this section during the current
season.
And that's what I'm Our Valley"
learned about sesbania by putting
a little lad" IN the paper.
Now comes Harry Foehner. staff
correspondent for the Herald. evi-
IDENTIFY fearing that we are going
70 be left holding the well known,
sack. with an interview with w.
Fl. Friend. superintendent or the
Valley experiment station. giving
still more details concerning this
native or the Valley we met through
California