Soy Beans T;)!) 



farmers by experiments with soy beans. Private individuals took 

 up the culture of certain varieties for seed as a farm specialty. 

 For at least fifteen years, the seeds of several varieties have been 

 commercially available to farmers. 



In Asia, upwards of two hundred varieties have been'grown and 

 used mainly for human food. European and American tastes 

 generally dislike the flavor of soy beans, but twenty or more 

 varieties have gained a foothold in America as a forage crop, and 

 the culture of soy beans has become of increasing importance, 

 especially in those states where red clover does not thriven The 

 region of their maximum usefulness, as indicated by experiments 

 and observation, seems to be south of the red clover area. In JSTew 

 York it seems safe to say that soy beans will succeed in about the 

 same proportions that Indian corn succeeds. The climatic and 

 soil requirements of the two plants are quite similar, 



UTILITY 



On account of their composition, soy beans have been found 

 very beneficial in rations for cattle, sheep, and swine. The rela- 

 tively high percentage of protein and fat in the seeds leads to the 

 conclusion that they are the logical complement to carbonaceous 

 foodsi like com and grass. The following table of digestible 

 nutrients in 100 pounds) of the various soy bean products is com- 

 piled from Feeds and Feedhigs, by Henry and Morrison. It repre- 

 sents mainly the average results of American experiments with soy 

 beans as stock food. 



Soy bean fodder, gren.. 



Soy bean hay 



Soy bean seed 



Soy bean straw 



Soy bean silage 



Corn and soy bean silage 



A little study of these results shows us that the soy bean seeds 

 are a very high-class feed ; but, as they are too expensive for that 

 purpose as yet in this country, we need not dwell on their merits. 

 The green soy bean fodder and the soy bean hay have been found 

 both palatable and nutritious in a practical way. It will readily 



