BUREAU or PLANT INDUSTRY. 261 



ported from Australia, and that of the latter, which can be obtained 

 in abundance from Cuba and Costa Rica, has proved to be of ex- 

 ceedingly low germination. It is hoped that methods may be found 

 for obtaining better germination from the imported seed of Bahia 

 grass. Another species of Paspalum {P. larranagal) , which has been 

 found to be a valuable grass in Louisiana and Mississippi, promises 

 well for Florida and other parts of the Southeast, and the indications 

 are that satisfactory domestic seed supplies of this grass may be de- 

 veloped. 



Sudan grass. — The use of Sudan grass for sunnner pasture is be- 

 ing encouraged, and the acreage of it devoted to pasture has in- 

 creased phenomenally, especiallj^ east of the ninety-eighth meridian 

 in the States of Kansas and Nebraska. It has increased greatly in 

 Iowa, Missouri, and Indiana. 



Sorj heans. — The soy bean is rapidly approaching the point where 

 it may be regarded as a staple crop. Its popularity is rapidly in- 

 creasing in the Corn Belt, and it promises to become a valuable oil 

 plant as well as forage crop. Several factories equipped with ma- 

 chinery for the manufacture of soy-bean oil and meal as well as of 

 various food products, such as soy sauce, flour, milk powder, and 

 special soy-bean food products, were in operation, using domestic- 

 grown beans. Investigations with so}'^ beans have been extended con- 

 siderably to meet the increasing demands for information relative 

 to the culture, varieties, and utilization of the crop. Many of the in- 

 troductions of soy beans received from Manchuria, Japan, and China 

 in 1922 appear to be of promise for central and northern conditions. 

 Much progress is being made with soy beans in the South, where in 

 past years the crop has not been very popular because of the shatter- 

 ing tendencies of the varieties that were grown. The Biloxi variety, 

 however, on account of its nonshattering characteristics, and the 

 Laredo, which has been found to be resistant to nematodes and wilt, 

 have done much to increase the popularity and acreage of the crop 

 in the Gulf Coast States. 



Cowpeas. — The principal lines of investigation with cowpeas were 

 testing introductions, crosses, and selections, and cooperative variety 

 tests. Several varieties obtained by Dr. H. L. Shantz from Africa 

 and new selections from hybrids appear to be of some promise. Be- 

 cause of their late-maturing tendencies the African sorts are more 

 suitable for the Southern States than for farther north. The Victor 

 variety, developed by the department, has given the best results in 

 tests, especially on lands infested by wilt and nematodes, and a wide 

 distribution of it has been made. 



Velvet hearts. — Efforts are being continued to popvilarize velvet 

 beans as a valuable forage and soil-improving crop in the South by 

 developing new varieties. Through the crossing of early-maturing 

 strains with the bush variety, some promising hybrids have been de- 

 veloped, and two earl}' strains, the Early Arlington and Tracy's 

 Early Black, have been obtained. Some of these early-maturing 

 strains are very prolific and will apparently make it possible to push 

 the velvet-bean belt appreciably northward from its present limits. 



Mung hearts. — The mung bean is coming into prominence through 

 its freedom from attack by the Mexican bean beetle. It is now being 

 extensively advertised throughout the South for forage purposes. 



