103 



The list ol" productive varieties is rather long, and 

 the matter of making a choice of a variety by the be- 

 ginner may be confusing. 



He will make no mistake in choosing for this latitude 

 the Mammoth Yellow, which is a rank growing variety 

 and produces yellow seed. It requires about 135 days 

 to mature a crop of seed. HoUybrook i)roduces a 

 smaller plant, has smaller yellow seed, and requires 

 about 10 days less than Mammoth Yellow to mature its 

 seed. Hlackbeauty is very much like HoUybrook, ex- 

 cept in color of seed, which is black. 



The varieties which lead in seed production have 

 rather coai-se, erect stems and are medium late. The 

 early varieties never rank high in seed production; nor 

 are thej' well suited for hay. When it is desired to get 

 an early crop for grazing purposes, Ito San, Swan, 

 Sherwood and other early varieties described in Table 

 VII. may be planted. They will bridge over the period 

 till the later varieties like Mammoth Yellow, Holly- 

 brook and Blackbeauty, etc.j are ready for grazing. 



Soy Bean Straw 



The percentage of straw to grain differs with differ- 

 ent varieties. In 1917 and 1918 Mammoth Y'^ellow aver- 

 aged 66 per cent of straw, and Otcotan averaged 74 

 per cent. The dwarf varieties have a lower percentage 

 of straw than those that have a tendency to form a 

 semi-vine upwright growth. Blackbeauty averaged for 

 two years 12 per cent of grain; HoUybrook, 40 per cent; 

 Ebony, 38 per cent; Biloxi, 29.5 per cent; and Barchet 

 (an upright vine-like variety) only 18 per cent. 



The amount of straw from each variety is not in 

 proportion to yield of grain. The percentage of straw 

 depends upon the habit of growth of the variety — the 

 late vine-like varieties yielding the highest percentages 

 and the largest amounts per acre. 



In 1917 and 1918 the variety tests were planted on 

 fertile sandy soil and made a rank growth. The Arling- 

 ton No. 22899 made 1420 pounds of straw per acre, 

 and Otootan 3737 pounds, and Mammoth Y'ellow 2222 

 pounds. 



Chemical com])osition and feeding experiments of 

 soy bean straw show that it is a good roughage. The 

 hulls and small stems are readily eaten by cattle and 

 sheep. Lambs fed a ration of soy bean straw, shelled 

 corn, and linseed meal made a fair gain.* 



* Ohio Bulletin No. 2-45. 



