BUREAU OF PLANT INDUSTRY. 327 



Soy beans for oil production. — In certain parts of the South the 

 farmers have been encouraged in the production of soy beans as a 

 possible substitute for cotton seed in the production of oil. The 

 cotton-seed oil mills are able to extract the oil from these beans by 

 means of the same machinery and methods used in extracting cotton- 

 seed oil, and the soy-bean seed is in demand especially in those regions 

 ■where the area of cotton has been cut down because of the ravages 

 of the boll weevil. In cooperation with the Office of Forage-Crop 

 Investigations, a study is being made of the adaptability of the 

 various varieties of soy beans to the sections where there is a de- 

 mand for them. Some of the varieties under trial are very promising. 

 In addition to their value as oil producers, the vines and the cake 

 made from the seeds in expressing the oil are important sources of 

 feed for live stock. 



Alfalfa in the South. — In the demonstration work, especially 

 in South Carolina, many successfid fields of alfalfa have been estab- 

 lished. Heavy inoculation with soil from an alfalfa field has been 

 found in many cases to be the determining factor of success with this 

 crop. In some places where soil was easily available for inoculation 

 purposes, farmers have aj)plied as much as five wagonloads per acre, 

 with excellent results. 



The spread of alfalfa culture on the black prairie soils of Alabama 

 and Mississippi during the past year has been one of the most marked 

 changes occurring in southern agriculture. For several years past 

 the acreage of alfalfa sown in that region has increased enormously, 

 mainly as the result of efforts made by representatives of this De- 

 partment in cooperation with state institutions. Where alfalfa has 

 become established the land has more than doubled in value. As 

 alfalfa is one of our most important forage crops, we are teaching 

 farmers in this section the principles involved in cropping systems 

 for live stock, and there is a remarkable increase in the interest mani- 

 fested by farmers in stock farming. Many cropping systems have 

 been devised for southern farmers entering upon some kind of live- 

 stock farming. 



On certain soils in the western part of the cotton belt root rot has 

 made serious ravages on the cotton crop, and also attacks most 

 leguminous crops, especially alfalfa. In regions where this trouble 

 prevails it has been found possible to grow alfalfa fairly satisfac- 

 torily for about two years. Methods have also been worked out by 

 another office of this Burieau which make it possible to grow a number 

 of leguminous crops on land affected by root rot, and a number of 

 demonstrations have been instituted on farms in such regions in order 

 to teach the farmers how to utilize these principles and at the same 

 time follow cropping systems that are satisfactory and profitable. 



Lespedeza, or Japan clover. — xVnother leguminous crop that has 

 attracted much attention in the South recently is lespedeza. or Japan 

 clover. This plant has spread all over the South during the past half 

 century, being found generally along roadsides and in waste places. 

 The usual method of utilization has been as summer pasture. 

 Eecently, however, in the study of faiTn experience a number of 

 farmers have been found who liave learned how to introduce this crop 

 into a rotation. Special attention has been given to the experience of 



