12 



Soy Bean. 



Tho Sov bean is of enormous importance in Japan, Manchuria 

 and China; and thence a great feature in world commerce. It is 

 now being extendi vel_y planted in the United States. It has been 

 said that it could not be grt)\vn in tlie Tropics, and some first 

 trials of it in tlie IMiilippines a few years ago led to statements 

 that it could not be successfully grown there. However this was 

 merely a case of the MTong variety for the season in which the 

 planting was done; for there are many distinct varieties of Soy 

 of quite different possibilities; and more comprehensive trials in 

 the l'hilit)pine islands developed the fact that certain varieties were 

 suitetl oidy to the wet season, others only to a drier period, and 

 some were heavier yielders of hay, others of grain, and so on, it now 

 being recognizi'ii that soy is a practicable crop for the country. 



Three vaiieties were brought to Singapore from the Philip- 

 pines. Two did not germinate. The third gave but few plants, 

 but these grew well and are now setting pods. Great care should 

 be taken to continue and develop this cnlturef since out of it may 

 arise a real asset to the country. Comprehensive trials of all the 

 soys should certainly be carried out here. The great value of the 

 plant in furnishing direct food for man and beast is but a part of 

 its Aalue, since its secondary j^rodncts are used the world over. 

 \^ast quantities of the famous soy sauce* are consumed yearly in 

 all parts of the world, while bean curds and oil from this source 

 are well known. 



Peanuts. 



The common peanuts of the Singapore market are small and 

 of the Spanish type. There are a number of varieties in other 

 countries which yield far larger nuts, liettev for direct eating, 

 though some of these do not give larger total yields under similar 

 ■conditions, nor larger oil percentages than the small Spanish pea- 

 ]iuts. Four varieties were used in the trials under description, viz., 

 San Mateo, Montalban, American and Kinorales, all of which have 

 been grown with success in the Philippines. These were planted 

 in beds similar to the varieties of Eadish as described above, there 

 being seed only for five square yards of each variety. The seed 

 Kinorales proved to be bad, the bed yielding but one plant, which, 

 however, as also all plants of the other varieties, grew with great 

 vigor. The seed was put in on August 1st and the crop harvested 

 fifteen weeks later. As the plants were ripening off, the leaves 

 became spotted with the common fungus Gercospora personata, 

 which, luckily, rarely attacks the plant in its prime. The yields of 

 shelled dried nuts were as follows: 



San Mateo . . . . 23 oz. 



Montalban . . . . 26^ oz. 



American . . . . 22# oz. 



+ The secoAd o rep of Soy bean was for some unknown reason a complete 

 failure. E.H.IM. 



* Basis also for one of the best known English table sauces. 



