THE CLYDE SERIES OF SOILS. 55 



acre. The yields upon the Clyde sandy loam range from 8 to 20 

 bushels, with an average around 12 bushels per acre. The small 

 area of the Clyde stony sandy loam, probably because of better drain- 

 age, shows a range in yields from 10 to 20 bushels per acre. The 

 Clyde fine sandy loam is one of the types of the series particularly 

 well adapted to bean growing, and the yield is given as ranging from 

 10 to 25 bushels per acre. It is probable that the general average for 

 the type is about 15 bushels. The portions of the Clyde loam which 

 are particularly well drained are found to give large crops of beans, 

 and the yields range from 18 to 25 bushels per acre, with an average 

 probably exceeding 20 bushels. Such a field is shown in Plate IX, 

 figure 1. There is an excellent opportunity to extend bean produc- 

 tion upon this soil as additional areas are improved with tile under- 

 drainage. Beans should constitute a part of the regular crop rota- 

 tion on the best drained areas of the Clyde loam and should be in- 

 creasingly grown where the somewhat more profitable sugar-beet 

 crop has not been introduced or may not be grown at present be- 

 cause of distance from shipping point or factory. 



Beans require a well-drained soil, naturally well supplied with 

 organic matter, mildly calcareous, and in good fertile condition. 

 They may be grown upon less desirable soils, but the most profitable 

 crops are always secured upou land as fertile as is required for the 

 production of a good crop of corn. For beans the soil must be warm 

 and well drained in order to give good germination and a consequent 

 complete stand. The land should be stone free so that improved ma- 

 chinery may be used to the best advantage for the harvesting of the 

 crop, yet good yields may be obtained upon gravelly and even stony 

 soils. 



The best farm practice tends toward planting beans rather late in 

 the season after the surface soil has become well warmed and is in 

 good condition to give high germination, since beans are intolerant 

 of wet, cold weather at planting time. Frequent shallow cultivation 

 is required during the season. Many growers depend upon the re- 

 sidual effects of stable manure applied to a corn crop for the fer- 

 tilization of the bean crop. Others plant upon stubble land and use 

 small quantities of fertilizer containing a large proportion of phos- 

 phoric acid, a smaller proportion of potash, and little nitrogen. 



Harvesting usually is accomplished by the use of special machinery 

 which pulls two rows of beans at a time and throws the vines into 

 a windrow from which small bunches are formed by hand. The 

 beans are field cured and usually carried to the barn for more com- 

 plete curing before thrashing. The harvesting is frequently de- 

 layed until after the first light frosts of autumn. 



A yield of less than 14 to 15 bushels of beans per acre is not usually 

 profitable because of the amount of labor required for the care and 



