THIRD ANNUAL YEAR BOOK — PART VI. 295 



ture is sufficient to secure germination, that they will make pigs grow, 

 shine and dazzle the eyes of the buyers without making them gobs of fat. 

 In other words, they neutralize the effect of the corn diet. 



We do not advise everybody to sow soy beans this year, but we do 

 advise them to think about it, and if they can secure seed, of the earliei- 

 varieties in the northern section of our territory, and the medium and 

 late varieties in the middle and extreme south, to experiment with them 

 in a small way and thus find out their value for themselves. The prov- 

 ince of the agricultural paper is not to work out details, but to give hints 

 and suggestions and discuss general principles 



HOW TO SOW SOY BEANS. 



Homestead. 



During the last few weeks we have had something to say on the value 

 of the soy bean crop. We find now that some of our readers have pur- 

 chased seed and wish information on the manner in which it should be 

 sown or planted. In some instances the ordinary grain drills gives satis- 

 factory results, although we have seen a number of drills that would not 

 sow beans without splitting them. However, it will take but a short time 

 to investigate the matter before taking the drill to the field. In case the 

 beans are not split by the "feed" of the drill it is a good plan to stop the 

 spouts so that the rows will be planted from twenty-four to forty inches 

 apart. The practice in southern districts is to put the rows about the 

 same distance apart as corn, although in northern areas exceedingly sat- 

 isfactory results are obtained when the rows are placed twenty-four to 

 thirty-two inches apart. When sown in this way the crop should be 

 freely cultivated, which will in turn destroy all weeds and conserve 

 moisture. 



Where the ordinary grain drill breaks the seed and no other form 

 of implement is at hand with which to put in this crop the corn planter 

 may be pressed into service. It should be adjusted to drill instead of 

 check. Some prefer to leave the rows the full width of the planter apart, 

 although on rich soils we believe the yield will be increased by putting 

 the rows half of the width of the corn planter apart. This may be done by 

 driving the planter with center over the last row every second time 

 across the field. Of course where there is nothing but the ordinary corn 

 machinery it would not be advisable to put the rows so close together, 

 but where the one-horse cultivator is at hand we believe, as we have said 

 before, that the yield will be much increased when the rows are placed 

 half the width of an ordinary corn planter apart. 



In no case should soy beans be planted before the soil becomes warm. 

 As the seed is somewhat large it is a good plan to plant fairly deep. If 

 the soil is dry at the time it will do no harm to put it down to a depth 

 of three inches. However, where there is considerable moisture in the 

 surface two inches or two and a half of covering will bring the plants up 

 a little quicker. 



