2« 



lK*aiis r('(|iiiri- moie labor lliaii cowpeajs. Indeed we 

 liave noi^el loiiud a thoroughly practicable and econom- 

 ical means of ciittinii jnid handlin*;" velvet hean vines. 



In regard lo (li(» vields of Ikiv from the two i)lants, 

 when urown side by side, the following are the results 

 thus I'ai- at Aidjurn, die variety of cowjieas employed 

 heini: the \N'onderful or Unknown. 



♦128 lbs. velvet beans sown broadcast per acre; t64 lbs. velvet 

 beans sown broadcast per acre. 



On the score of productiveness our experiments are 

 slightly in favor of cowpeas, though on other soils this 

 result might be reversed. 



As to the relative hardiness of the two plants, the 

 velvet bean is undoubtedly superior. It suffers less 

 from the attacks of leaf eating insects, and, though the 

 young plants of the velvet bean are not exempt from 

 the attacks of a fungous root rot, characterized by 

 Avhitish to brownish, small, spherical, sclerotia on the 

 stem near the surface of the ground, yet the velvet beans 

 are much more resistant to it than are cowpeas, which 

 in some parts of the Station farm are almost ruined by 

 this disease. For example, in 1899, on adjoining plots, 

 cowpeas were ruined by September 12, at least half 

 the plants having died prematurely, the yield of 

 seed being r(Mluced to less than two bushels per acre, 

 whili^ velvet beans \vere perfectly healthy and extremely 

 luxuriant. 



Still more important as regards the relative hardiness 



