116 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 



cial and essential to sweet clover, have upon the growth, inoculation, 

 and composition of soybeans? If it affects their composition, does it 

 make them a better feed or poorer? Does it affect the oil content? 

 The same questions might be asked concerning phosphorus. 



THE INCREASING INTEREST IN SOYBEANS 



Soybeans, being planted in the late spring, have neither the 

 vicissitudes of winter nor the competition of another crop to contend 

 with. Interest in this crop has developed marvelously in the past few 

 years, and the use of it has grown by leaps and bounds. This has 

 been but natural, as seed prices have made soy culture very remunera- 

 tive. The cost of production has been about the same as for corn 

 on our farms (in many instances less), and the gross returns generally 

 greater. In the corn belt there has never been a commercial market 

 for soybean grain other than for seed purposes. The grower has had 

 to find his own market, and grade, sack, and ship the crop in small par- 

 cels, often to the corners of the land! This is a problem most 

 farmers do not care to solve, tho we have not found it arduous, 

 considering the compensation. However, several corporations are now 

 promising an outlet for next year's crop, for oil and feed manufacture ; 

 and unless production should overtake this still rather modest source 

 of consumption, soybean growing should prove quite remunerative, 

 altho promising no such returns as we have been in the habit of ex- 

 pecting. Ultimately, I confidently expect soybeans to displace oats in 

 our Illinois rotations to a great extent ; but it would be a tremendous 

 mistake to try to accomplish this in a single season, or even in three 

 or four. A campaign of education is needed to exploit the uses of soy- 

 bean oil and cake so that the industries and the feeder may appreciate 

 their value and gradually increase the use of them. Our Household 

 Science Department might do both the producer and consumer a great 

 service by teaching the people the great nutritive and dietary value of 

 soybeans as human food. Unless such educational work is pushed, the 

 time may not be far distant when the sale of soybean seed will not 

 be profitable on account of overproduction. 



Should this occur, however, it should not deter any farmer from 

 growing what soys he can consume on his own farm; and, by the 

 way, practically every farmer ought to start with soybeans on that 

 basis. We believe the College and Station should for the immediate 

 present lay most stress upon the use of soybeans as a forage, while at 

 the same time investigating the uses to which oil and cake may be put. 



