134 SOY BEANS IN BENGAL, BIHAR AND ORISSA. 



seed sheds easily. The late varieties at present cultivated in 

 the plains are unsatisfactory, in that their twining habit 

 makes intercultivation difficult and their long growing period 

 prevents the ground from being used for two crops in the year, 

 besides which they harbour rats during October to December. 



The usual method of cultivation of soy beans in the Darjee- 

 ling hills is described by Goodwin (13) as follows : — "After the 

 maize crop has received the second hoeing and the weeds have 

 been carefully buried the seed is sown among it at the rate of 

 40 lbs. per acre in June or the beginning of July. After the 

 maize has been harvested the top parts of the stalks are cut off 

 and carried away, and the Bhetmas crop is then hand weeded. 

 The weeds may be pulled up and laid on the ground if the crop 

 is not very thick, but they are often tied on to the maize 

 stalks which have been left standing. After weeding the crop 

 soon covers the ground with a mass of luxuriant vegetation, the 

 appearance of which is very fine. Soy bean ripens in November. 

 The leaves usually fall off before the crop is harvested and add 

 to the manurial residue left by the roots, the nodules of whioh 

 are very conspicuous." Goodwin has found that the Nepali 

 variety does not do well if grown with maize, but sown by itself in 

 drills 1 foot apart in April, it yielded 26 mds. (approx. 1 ton) per 

 acre. Soy beans are also grown along the banks round the paddy 



fields in Kalimpong. 



7. YIELD. 



The tables given below show the actual yields obtained in 

 experiments carried out in Bengal during the past } T ear on 

 unmanured land. The results of the experiments at Chinsurah 

 and Cuttack have been supplied by Mr. F. Smith, and those of 

 the Sabour, Bankipur and Dumraon farms by Mr. G. Sherrard, 

 while all the information concerning the cultivation of soy beans 

 in Kalimpong has been obtained from Mr. P. Goodwin. It will 

 be seen that the yield usually varies from 8 — 12 mds. (approx- 

 imately 650 — l,000lbs.), but under favourable circumstances it 

 may go up to over 26 mds. (over 2,200lbs.) per acre. It may be 

 noted that these yields are much superior to those previously 



