566 THE farmers' handbook. 



Planting. 



The best time to sow soybeans is about the time maize should be planted, 

 or better, slightly later. The growth is slow at first, and if sown too early 

 weeds may grow faster than the crop and the soybeans will be injured, in 

 the attempt to smother or otherwise deal with the weeds. 



Soybean seed heats very quickly in storage (especially in a warm moist 

 climate), and also loses its germinating power very quickly if kept for any 

 length of time, especially over one season. When there is any doubt about 

 the vitality of the seed a test of the germination should be made or the seed 

 should be sown thickly. 



Above all, care should be taken to plant the seed only at a shallow depth — 

 not more than 2 or 3 inches. Many disappointments have been caused by 

 deeper sowing. 



The rows should be about 2i or 3 feet apart and the seed 4 to 6 inches 

 apart in the rows, 5 to 12 lb. seed being required per acre, according to the 

 size of seed of the variety. Sowing can be done with a maize-drill with a 

 special plate, or with a wheat-drill by blocking up all but a few of the 

 tubes. 



The young plants have no ability to push through a crusted surface soil, 

 and care should be taken to keep the surface loose by light harrowing before 

 the plants come through. 



Varieties. 



Varieties of soybeans differ greatly in the length of time taken to mature, 

 the nature of the growth, and the size, shape, and colour of the seed. As a 

 rule the later maturing varieties grow more vigorously than the early 

 varieties and usually give the best yields of fodder, though some of the 

 earlier ones are good seed producers. For hogging down, dual-purpose 

 varieties are required, namely, varieties that will produce good yields of 

 both fodder and seed. 



Of the varieties tried so far in New South Wales the following seem to 

 be best: — 



Otootan. — This is a very late variety, which takes nearly the full season 

 to mature for fodder on the tablelands, but the production of the seed is 

 somewhat risky there. On the coast, however, it gives a good yield of both 

 fodder and seed, even rivalling some of the cowpeas for fodder or green 

 manuring. It is easily the best dual-purpose variety yet tested on the coast. 

 The seed is very small, black, and elliptical in shape, with flattened sides. 



Hollybrooh is a medium late variety, but nearly a month earlier than 

 Otootan, maturing safely for seed on the tablelands, where it is a good dual- 

 purpose variety, giving a good yield of fodder and a very good yield of seed. 

 The seed is small, of straw-yellow colour, and elliptical in shape. 



Mammoth Yellow. — This is a variety of about the same maturity as Holly- 

 brook, giving a good yield of fodder, but not such a heavy production of seed. 

 The seed is small, round, and yellow. 



Haberlandt is a medium early variety of very good seed-producing quali- 

 ties, but not so good for fodder. The seed is of medium size, round, and 

 yellow. 



