101 



to the Japanese respectively, as '■'■Adzuki" or " Shozu," tlie latter name 

 meaning " small bein " and " Omame" or " Daiclzu " both the latter 

 names meaning •' large bean." The beans of the first class are a 

 distinct species, Phaseolus radiatus and are used by the Japanese 

 almost entirely in confections. They are characterized by a remark- 

 ably thin skin, and are generally boiled, put through a sieve, and 

 variously sweetened and colored though also prepared in other ways. 

 An enormous quantity of these confections is eaten by persons of all 

 ages and classes. 



The beans belonging to this class have been sometimes incorrectly 

 designated Soja beans by American writers. This bean has fair 

 cropping capacity as will be seen by the detailed reports which 

 follow. In composition, it resembles our common American varie- 

 ties, being much poorer in both albuminoids and fat than the soja 

 beans. 



An analysis of a red variety raised here in 1890 has been made 

 and the results are shown below. For comparison I give also the 

 composition of the common kidney bean according to Anderson : 



RED ADZDKl. KIDNEY BEAN. 



Phaseolus radiatus. Phaseolus vulgaris. 



Per cent. Per cent. 



Water, 14.82 13.00 



Dry matter, 85.18 87.00 



Crude Protein, 20.23 19.75 



'' Fat, .75 1.22 



" Nitrogen free extract, 56.63 



Fibre, 3.83 ' ^'^''^^ 



Ash, 3.74 3.56 



Whether the beans of this class will prove valuable here may be 

 doubtful. They are certainly unusually attractive in appearance ; 

 but It is no" likely that the Japanese bean confections, which nearly 

 all foreigners in Japan regard as decidedly flat and insipid, will ever 

 come into favor here. This bean, therefore, must compete with our 

 garden and field beans for popular favor, as it is of no especial value 

 as a fodder plant. 



The beans of the second class i"^ Daidzu") belong to a distinct 

 genus and by some authorities are named Soja hispida, whence the 

 common designation soja (sometimes soya) bean ; by other authori- 

 ties, the species is named Glycine hispida which name, probably, has 

 the claim of priority. The name " soja " or " soya " has undoubt- 



