11 Sept.. 191 i] Tlic Soy Bean. 627 



to cut and rake ar a time- t)f day when the pods are slightly moist with 

 dew. Rake immediately into small stooks. 



In America, portable franies are used and the cut plants heaped in 

 them, thus insuring a good circulation of air to produce good curing. If 

 the crop is cut and bound, the sheaves are apt to become mouldy. When 

 dry, the seed can l)e readily separated bv means of an orilinary threshing 

 machine. 



Soy beans for seed must be kept in thin layers in cool, well vt'utilated 

 bins. When buying seed, empty the bags as soon as received, and keep 

 the beans si)read out in a cool dry place. The best of seed, hi kept in 

 bags till sowing time, may heat sufficiently to destroy its growing powers. 



Experiments in Victoria. 



In 1909 a quantity of seed was imported from America. The variety 

 was not known. In some districts, plants from this seed grew very well, 

 notably at Lily dale on clay soil, making a uniform growth of 48 in. and 

 having a strong upright stem. It was evidently a good variety for hay. 

 but bore only a medium crop of beans. The ripe pods did not l)urst easily, 

 and stood exposure in the tield. At Heidelberg, this variety had only 

 medium success. The germination was low, owing to heavy rain rotting 

 the .seed which was soaked before sowing. The unsoaked seed also suffered 

 from the prolonged rains and the plants ne\er properly recovered. The 

 set^d was sown on 4th October and required twenty days to appear above 

 ground. The pods ri})ened unevenly and were not ready to harvest until 

 ist May, the resulting seed teing much smaller than the original. Xo 

 tubercles were found on the roots. At Caul tield. in sandv soil, the seed 

 germinated well, but the plants were e\'entually ploughed in as green 

 manure. 



In S(^ptt'ml>er 1910. .1 lonsignment was received by the Department of 

 Agriculture from Shanghai, through Mr. J. M. Sinclair, Commercial Agent 

 for Victoria in the East. From this consignment of one variety a number 

 of seeds differing from the bulk in shape or colour were handpicked. 

 These were grown separately at Cheltenham. They were sown on loth 

 October, and were cut for green fodder on jjth February. The following 

 yields were obtained: — 



Variety. Yield per acre. 



tons cv\-ts. lbs. 

 Ito iSiiii (yellow I . . ■ . . 



B.iird (hrowii) . . 

 Brownie (brown) 

 ( Jiiclpli (lirecn ) 



By the accompanying illustrations it will be .seen that .some varieties 

 grow luxuriantly at Cheltriiham. The soil is very sandy with a clay subsoil. 

 The stvds Were sown in drills 2\\ "^- ••P-"'t on the 10th OctoKr, and 98 per 

 ( tMit. of the seeds of the varieties mentioned germinated in ten days. The 

 land was kept clean for the first two months by inter-tillagf. When photo- 

 graphed, the plants were from 3 to 5 ft. in height, with abundance of 

 "pods and leaves. 



l''\pcriments were als() condiutt'd ,it H.dlarat. bellarin.'. H<'itlfll)erg. 

 I.ilvdal.' .md otiier centres throughout ilic Stale. .Vlthough .1 moderate 

 .iinount of success was achi<'ved further cxpfrinn-nts will b.- nece.ssary. 

 W ith that ol>ject in view the Dei)artment <>f Agriculture has recently im- 

 ported a large '|uanlitv of se<'d tor distribution. 



