Vol. XVII. No. 412. 



THE AGRICULTURAL .VEWS. 



BENGAL BEANS IN MONTSERRAT. 



Experiments have been made at the liotanic Station in 

 Mont>errat with species of Stizolobium (Mucuna), in order 

 to discover a reliable type which can bo used as a sto -k food, 

 and, in conjunction with pigeon peas, be grown as a rotation 

 crop with cotton. A sample of the beans was sent to the 

 Imperial"" Institute for examination, and a report on the 

 sample was returned to Montserrat, and embodietl in the 

 report of the Agricultural Departmjnlr of that island for the 

 year ended .March 111, 1917. which has .just been issued. 



As these beans are being experimented with in other 

 islands also, the report which is quoted in extenso below 

 will doubtless be of value and interest. 



'The sample consisted of Hat beins of a roundish rectan- 

 gular shape, and of a light greyish-a.sh colour with very faint 

 marking, and a prominent cream-coloured hiluni. The beans 

 had a tiiin, tough, outer coat, and a firm buft'-coloured 

 interior. 



KIvSULT.'^ Of KWillS-KTlVS. 



Lyon or white velvet 

 beans from 



Bengal 

 beans 

 from 



'No alkaloids or cyanogeaetic glucosides were detectc<l 

 in the above samples. 



UEMAKKS. 



'These beans are similar in composition to Bengal beans, 

 and also to the Lyon or white velvet beans from Nigeria and 

 Nyasaland referred to in the above table and previously exam- 

 ined at the Imperial Institute, and which were identified at 

 Kew as Miicuna nirea (M. Lyom or tStiMloliium niveum). 

 They resemble the latter in appearance, but are more elon- 

 gated in shape, and the vein.s on the .seed coat are less 

 conspicuou.s. 



'There is some confiict of opinion as to whether Miuamt 

 nivea beans are suitable for food, thougii Lyon beans are 

 stated to be eiten with great relish in the L^nited States. 

 The green pods of this species, moreover, are stated to be 

 eaten in India as a vegetable, the outer velvety skin of the 

 pi ids being removed before cooking. Some confusion exis's 

 as to the identity of the various species of .Mucuna beans, and 

 thouuli velvet beans have been used ms hirman food by natives 

 in Nyasaland, it is not quite clear wliciherlhe white beans 

 (.1/. nivt'i) or the black beans (.1/. alerrtma or Sli.olnhiudi 

 <ihryiiiiinn) ov both varieties are so employed. 



'Tlie Imperial Institute cii:nmuriicated wrth the I'niterl 

 States Depirtment of /igriculture on the subject in 1 1)1 6. 

 and in rejpiy the l>epirtment stated thit they had no 

 information that .Uiirmiu nine'i beans were harm'ul, and 

 piointed out that there had been frequent favourable 

 reference in the .\nnual Reports of the Florida Experiment 

 Station to the use of the beans for feeding domestic 

 animals, and no allusion to any harmful effects when they 

 were used for this purpose. 



-The United States Department of Agriculture also 

 referred the enquir\- to I'lofessor Rolfs, who was responiible 

 for a sta'eme it tint the beans had caused unpleasant effects 

 i'l human beings. In his reply I'rofessor llolfs stated that 

 feeding experiments with cattle and pigs have given con- 

 vincing proof of the value of the b-ans as a feeding stuff 

 for farm animals, nnd further, thtt the beans have been 

 used by whites and black labourers in Florida, and that 

 the only complaint made was that the fiivour was not 

 good. He added that persons who used them in a trial 

 which he arranged, felt certain ill effects, though they did no; 

 regard them as serious. 



'All the samples of these beans received at the- 

 Imperial Institute, including that now under report, 

 have been carelully examined for alkaloids and cyanogenetic 

 glucosides, and no traces of constituents of either 

 type have been fotvnd in any of the samples. Similarly, 

 extricts of the beans have been prepared by proces.ses 

 designed to concentrate in the extracts deleteri-ms 

 substances of any type likely to be present in the beans, and, 

 no indicitii.ins have been found of the presence of any poison- 

 ous constituent. 



'The position therefore is that, as regards the varieties of 

 Mucuna niren, there is a considerable budy of evidence that 

 they have been Used as food for human beings in the United 

 States, Nyasaland, India, and elsewhere, and also as a feeding 

 stuff for animals without causing ill effects. Farther, 

 numerous inde|iendent analyses of the beans have be-n mide, 

 and no indica'ion of any del terious constituents has been' 

 found. Tfie suspicion that has besn cast on the suitability of 

 the beans a* a foodstuff is due to the results of a single 'rial 

 ananged by Professor Rolfs, and it will be seen from the 

 remarks of this investigitor quoted above that he does not 

 attach final importance to the results of this trial, in view of 

 the general experience in the United States that the beans 

 are wholesome. 



'While therefore further trials of the beans as a foodstuff 

 seem to be necled, the bulk of the evidence available indicates 

 that they are wholesome, and certaiidy justifies cautious trials 

 of then as a feeding stuff for animals if not as a foodstuff; 

 for human beings.' 



We reproduce the following from 77/.. Times of Novem- 

 ber 20. 1917: 'Sir .\rthur Vapp who presided j-esterday at 

 ( irosvenor House at a CVjnference arranged to disseminate, 

 information on the food value of potatoes said that, after 

 providing for the normal consumption, there was a surplus of 

 considerably over ■-',000,000 tons of potatoes, which if used 

 during the next six months — a most critical period — ^instead^ 

 of bread, would save half a inillioD tons of flour, equal to 

 300,000,000 bread rations, which was sufficient to keep the 

 whole of the United Kingdom in bread for two months. He 

 urged the necessity of breaking more ground for potato 

 jjrowing. I)r. Campbell, who has made a special study of the 

 potato question, stated that arrangements had been made for 

 the starling of mills for producing potato flour in the 

 New Year. 



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