67 



full bloom by October 10, and produced about 3 or 4 tons per acre of good forage. 

 My stock will not eat it, but my neighbor planted some seed I gave him, and his 

 sheep are crazy for it and eat vines and all. 



Mr. T. A. Foster, Bruggs, Lowndes Count}^ : 



The seed was sown in sandy soil, between rows of peach trees, April 15, 1899. I 

 opened the beds as for cotton, and dropped 3 beans in hills 3 feet apart and covered 

 wit 1 a ])()ard. The crop was hoed once and a sweep run through twice. It was in 

 full bloom by August 10. Only about one-third of the crop matured, on account of 

 frost. The beans that did mature were very good. If it would mature seed and its 

 fertilizing properties were as good as cowpeas it would 1)e very valual)le, as the yield 

 of vines is about four times that of peas on poor land. I shall give it further trial. 



FLORIDA. 



Mr. B. L. Hickman, Churchill, Marion County : 



A thin, sandy upland soil which was full of weeds and trash was used. The seed 

 was sown June 1 and July 15, 1899, by dropping 2 or 3 beans 18 inches apart in 

 every fifth or sixth furrow. Having planted velvet beans two years l)efore, this sea- 

 son I did not keep the Department seed separate, but planted it with seed saved 

 from last year's crop. As I had an abundance of other forage, I did not cut any for 

 hay, but left the vines on the land to improve it. The yield per acre is immense. I 

 had about 40 bushels of seed from about an acre. Horses, cattle, and hogs eat the 

 beans when soft. I am now feeding some hogs in pens on dry beans fi'om last year's 

 picking, and they eat them greedily and improve rapidly. I planted some seed this 

 year which was 2 years old and found that it germinated equally as well as that saved 

 from last year. A great many of the beans left in the field last year were frozen in the 

 the winter, perhaps half. The balance sprouted and in many places made a good 

 broadcast stand. 



GEORGIA. 



Mr. C. M. Booth, Monroe, Walton County: 



A rich dark -red soil was prepared the same as for cotton. The velvet bean yields 

 a luxuriant crop of vines, but frost came too early and caught the young beans before 

 they were ripe. I think farther South the bean might do well, but here on parallel 

 34° the season is rather short. 



Mr. R. P. Johnson, Plains, Sumter County: 



The seed was sown in drills about the middle of April and covered with a small 

 double coverer. They should have been planted earlier, as the frost got them before 

 the seeds matured. The quality of the product is excellent and I think it would 

 make hay equal to the peavine and be equally as good a renovator. This patch was 

 followed with oats, and they were the finest and rankest oats in the field. The 

 velvet bean is gaining favor in Florida and southern Georgia, and is fast coming to 

 the front in this section. 



LOUISIANA. 



]VIr. Irving- E. Baker, Bastrop, Morehouse County: 



A well-fertilized garden soil was plowed and harrowed and the seed sown about 

 April 20, 1898. About July 1 it began to grow, and covered nearly all the fences, 

 outhouse, and several trees by September 1. I have not harvested yet as I am wait- 

 ing for the pods to dry. None, however, were fully ripe when frost came on Sep- 

 teudier 15. It makes a tremendous growth of vines, running 40 feet. Horses seem 

 to like it ])etter than anvthing else. 



