68 



MISSISSIPPI. 



Mr. A. S. Herrington, DoUie, Jones County: 



A sandy, pine-ridge soil in good condition was prepared as for cowpeas. The 

 seed was planted Jnne 23, 1899. Our test was to compare the bean with the cow- 

 pea. We planted some of each the same day, the bean occupying the land probably 

 twice as long as the cowpea and making a third more growth. We deem it, however, 

 inferior to the cowpea. 



NORTH CAROLINA. 



Dr. William Paul Moore, Jackson, Northampton County: 



As to velvet bean, I am an advocate of it. I read a short article from Mr. Wilson, 

 of Orlando, Fla., and was so impressed that I wrote him as to price of seed. I read 

 his answer to several gentlemen, and we ordered a barrel. The weather was such 

 that mine did not mature, but the foliage was immense. Capt. R. B. Peebles did not 

 plant his until this year, and he is so much pleased that he will plant 10 acres next 

 year. His vines now are about 4 feet deep and a mass of foliage. Everything eats it, 

 as Wilson says. Cattle will leave other feed to devour it. Mr. John Moore, of this 

 place, who ordered when 1 did, but did not plant until this year, secured a large 

 growth. I gave some of the seed to different people for arbors and shade trellising, 

 and to my surprise many of the seeds matured, so that they have again a pretty mass 

 of vines at their doors. I had as many as 35 pods on one stem last year. 



TEXAS. 



Mr. Alex. McKee Robinson, Ada. Montgomery County: 



I planted the bean April 1, 1898, with corn, using about 1 peck of the beans to the 

 acre and about the same amount of corn as is usually used in a cornfield. I planted 

 on poor, sandy hammock land, used no fertilizer, and plowed only once in two weeks 

 after plants had come up. I was then so busy with my tobacco crops that I neg- 

 lected the beans entirely — in fact, I gave the beans up to the weeds, but as I had 

 planted in with corn, the vines wrapped around the stalks, and outgrew the weeds 

 and everything else and made such a mass of vegetation that it wa.s impossible to ride 

 through on a horse. I can give you no idea of the number of Imshels per acre the 

 vines yielded, for I did not have any of the seed gathered until after the 15th of last 

 December, and then only some 50 or 60 bushels, on account of not being able to spare 

 the hands to do the work. 



This season, however, I am giving the beans all the attention they need and am 

 cultivating them in just the same manner as we cultivate corn. I am informed that 

 the vines make fine forage and fertilizer, but have had no experience with them as 

 such, as I raise the beans for the market and had no trouble in disposing of those I 

 had gathered at §3 per bushel. I believe that the bean will do better this year than 

 last on account of its having had one year's growth in this section. Last spring I 

 planted a few beans by the side of the chimney at my home and fertilized a little 

 with cotton seed meal. The vines are now about 30 feet uj-) the side of the chimney 

 and are still growing very rapidly. 



VIRGINIA. 



Mr. C. H. Constable, Warsaw, Richmond County: 



The velvet bean made a tremendous growth and had a very pretty bloom, making 

 a handsome vine for the garden. It made a nice load of hav from the seed sent. 



