BUREAU OF PLANT INDUSTRY. 149 



and the development of other varieties by breeding (especially the 

 Georgia and the Osceola), the culture of the velvet bean has been ex- 

 tended to cover a large part of the cotton belt, especially on the more 

 sandy soils. It is estimated that the acreage planted to velvet beans 

 in 1916 was at least fourfold that of any previous year, and it is not 

 improbable that the acreage of 1917 is at least four times that of 

 1916. 



SOY BEANS. 



While the soy bean is still one of the minor field crops, the acreage 

 has increased greatly in the last three years, primarily because it 

 was found profitable to utilize the beans in large quantities for the 

 production of oil and cake. Inasmuch as soy beans can be raised in 

 the United States at approximately the same cost as in Manchuria, 

 there is reason to believe that this industry will reach very large pro- 

 portions. The soy bean has also gained considerable popularity in 

 the United States as a human food. Large quantities of the mature 

 beans have been used by canners in preparing pork and beans and 

 similar products. The green beans have also been canned and have 

 met with a ready sale. 



RHODES GRASS. 



Rhodes grass has rapidly grown in popularity both in Florida and 

 southern Texas. In the latter State very large areas of land, both 

 irrigated and nonirrigated, have been planted to this grass. Both 

 for hay and for pasturage it has proved far superior in southern 

 Texas to any other plant. 



SUGAR-BEET SEED PRODUCTION. 



Previous to the war practically no sugar-beet seed was produced 

 commercially in this country. This bureau, in cooperation with 

 the beet-sugar and beet-seed companies, has succeeded in building 

 up the commercial production of sugar-beet seed until it amounts 

 to about 25 per cent of the annual planting requirements of the 

 sugar-beet growers. This industry is rapidly increasing, and the 

 indications are that the production of sugar-beet seed will be nearly 

 doubled next year. One new beet-seed company has just been 

 formed, and a member of the office force of this bureau has been 

 emploj^ed as general manager. 



BARLEY AND OTHER GRAINS. 



On account of its higher yield of feed per acre, barley is being 

 urged as a substitute for oats in sections of the Northern and West- 

 ern States. In all grains the use of new high-yielding varieties is 

 being rapidly extended. Three new varieties of oats, two of barley, 

 one of rye, and one of rice were grown on considerable acreages in 

 various States this year. 



BINDER-TAVINE FIBER. 



The marked increase in the cost of binder twine, due to the in- 

 creased cost of henequen (Yucatan sisal), in common with all other 



