16 SOY BEAN VARIETIES. 



more variable than in the other black varieties, quite distinctly flattened in dorso- 

 ventral view. 



The growth the first season was small but plants of the second and third generations 

 were 18 to 36 inches high, according to locality. This variety closely resembles the 

 Nuttall in habit of growth, but is much later in maturing and has very much smaller 

 pods and seeds. It has, apparently, the l)ad habit of not holding its leaves well until 

 the pods are ripe, and it is not likely to be regarded as of value unless that fault is 

 eliminated by selection. As a hay crop, designed to be cut before fully mature, it 

 would do very well. The other characters, such as slender stems, fair height, and 

 long, slender branches, as well as a good crojj of pods, all mark it as of probable value 

 for hay. It requires from one hundred and seven to one hundred and twenty-seven 

 days to reach maturity, the average being from one hundred and fifteen to one hundred 

 and twenty-two days. 



The name has reference to the color of the seeds. 



Numbers and sources of lots grown. — Agi'ost. No. 1193, S. P. I. No. 6386; Agrost. No. 

 1541, S. P. I. No. 8492; Agrost. No. 1980, Agrost. Nos. 1193 and 1541, united; S. P. I. 

 No. 6386, "Black," Korea; S. P. I. No. 8492, grown from S. P. I. No. 6386; S. P. I. 

 No. 9414, grown from S. P. I. No. 8492; S. P. I. No. 17254, grown from Agrost. No. 1980. 



FLAT KING. 



The Flat King is a tall and quite stout variety, with stems one-half inch in diameter 

 at the base, often branching quite freely, 20 to 30 inches high in drier regions, 30 to 40 

 inches in more favorable localities. The branches are 5 to 7 in number, the lower ones 



10 to 14 inches long, the upper 4 to 8 inches, ascending or spreading, nearly meeting 

 across the spaces between rows 3 feet and more apart. The leaves are large, abundant, 

 and medium to dark in color. Tliis variety bears usually a heavy crop of pods, but 

 these are commonly quite close to the ground, making harvesting rather difficult, espe- 

 cially where the plants are low. The pods are large, 2 to 2§ inches long, one-half inch 

 wide, usually loosely 2 seeded. The seeds are larger and flatter than those of any 

 variety, jet black, shining, with little or no bloom, flat, broadly elliptical in outline, 

 7 to 9 mm. wide, 8 to 12 mm. lr)ng, a common size for well-developed beans being 8 by 



11 mm., only 31 to 4 mm. thick, occasionally somewhat pointed at the ends. 



The Flat King is a very strong-growing variety, resemlaling the Nuttall more closely 

 than any other black-seeded form, though the Flat King is the taller, its average height 

 being from 25 to 35 inches. It is not a commercial variety yet, but its hea^y crop of 

 pods, its large size, and branching habit make it a valuable variety for trial as a silage 

 crop or for a cover crop or hog pasture, especially in the Southern States. It is later 

 than any of the large and promising varieties, except the Tokyo, and is more compar- 

 able with the Mammoth in time of maturity, requiring from one hundred and seventeen 

 to one hundred and forty days or even more in unfavorable seasons. Yields of seed of 

 from 6 to 9 bushels to the acre have been recorded. 



The name is given on account of the much flattened seeds and the large size of seeds 

 and plants. 



Numbers and sources of lots grown. — Agrost: No. 1293, S. P. I. 6312; S. P. I. No. 6312, 

 "Flat Black," Japan; S. P. I. No. 8497, grown from S. P. I. No. 6312; S. P. I. No. 9410, 

 grown from S. P. I. No. 8497; S. P. I. No. 17252, grown from Agrost. No. 1293-2. 



RICELAND. 



This is one of two very peculiar varieties imported from China. These two, the 

 Hankow being the second one, are very similar in habit, differing only in the color of 

 the seeds. They are, however, quite different from all other varieties studied. In 

 appearance they scarcely suggest the familiar type of soy beans. 'WTiere sufficient 

 moisture may be had they attain the greatest height of any varieties yet grown. 



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