26 FORAGE-CROP EXPERIMENTS AT SAN ANTONIO. 



GUAR. 



In 1906 and 1907 a plant introduced from India called guar (Cyamo- 

 pis tetragonoloba) was tested. While this made an excellent growth 

 and proved to be a most drought-resistant plant, the only live stock 

 that would eat it were sheep and goats. The stalk is rather inclined 

 to be woody, the foliage scant, and the seeds small, although it is 

 very prolific. The fact that stock did not eat the guar may have 

 been due in part to the age which the plants were allowed to reach 

 before being harvested. 



In India the pods are said to be used as a vegetable, while in other 

 cases it is used as a stock food or as a green-manure crop. Accord- 

 ing to Sir George Watt, 1 when the plant is cultivated as a vegetable 

 it is grown on highly manured land and apparently is well supplied 

 with moisture, as it is generally planted in May and irrigated until 

 it rains. The unsatisfactory showing made by the plant here may 

 have been caused partly by a lack of appreciation of the requirements 

 of the plants in order to secure the best results, as the tests were made 

 without irrigation and during comparatively dry years. It is prob- 

 able that the greatest value of guar for this section will be as a green- 

 manure crop. 



VETCHES. 



About 30 different lots of vetches were tested on irrigated land 

 during the winters of 1906-7 and 1907-8, but none of them showed 

 indications of being a reliable winter crop. Under the most favor- 

 able conditions the better varieties made a fair growth, but when the 

 conditions were at all adverse, especially as to moisture supply, the 

 growth was very unsatisfactory. Of the varieties tested, hairy vetch 

 (Vicia villosa) and scarlet vetch (V.fulgens) made the best showing. 

 Further trials of the vetches under irrigation are needed. 



SOY BEANS. 



In 1907 and again in 1910 several varieties of soy beans were 

 planted and were entirely destroyed by rabbits, as the areas planted 

 were small. Undoubtedly either large areas will have to be grown 

 or the farm inclosed in a rabbit-proof fence if this crop is to be grown 

 successfully. 



RAPE. 



A plat of Dwarf Essex rape was grown during the winter of 1906-7. 

 While the plants made a strong early growth, they were later badly 

 affected by the drought, and in February were attacked by the har- 

 lequin cabbage bug, which entirely destroyed the crop. 



PEANUTS. 



A plat of Spanish peanuts was grown in 1908. While the plants 

 made a fair growth, yet then' behavior in this heavy black soil and 



i Watt, George. The Commercial Products of India, pp. 449-450. 

 I fir. 106] 



