34 MAiNK AGRTCuivTURAi, i;xpi;rimi:nt station, 19 14. 



plants grown in soil that had not been inoculated, but they 

 grew abundantly where soil from infested soy bean was applied 

 at the rate of a few barrels to the acre. According to our 

 experience the beans will grow as well v/ithout the root tuber- 

 cles as with, provided they are liberally fertilized. Their 

 economical growth depends upon the presence of the root tuber- 

 cles, as in this way they can be grown with little or no nitro- 

 gen in the fertilizer. If they are to be grown on soil contain- 

 ing no root tubercle organisms, they require a fairly liberal 

 application of a complete fertilizer. If grown in good soil 

 where root tubercles may be expected to develop, only phos- 

 phoric acid and potash need be supplied in the fertilizer. The 

 soil should be prepared as for ordinary beans. It should be 

 made fine, free from clods and lumps, and smooth. A good 

 seed bed is essential to a good growth. 



In this climate the soy bean should be planted a little earlier 

 than ordinary beans, but not until the ground has warmed up 

 considerably. The first season we planted in drills 3 feet 

 apart. This was too far apart for the best yield. Nearly 

 double the yield per acre is Obtained when the drills are 16 

 inches apart. In the vase of the wide drills it was necessary 

 to cultivate three times with the horse cultivator. With the 

 drills 16 inches apart they were cultivated once with a hand 

 wheel hoe. On fairly clean land good success may be had with 

 broadcasting or still better by the use of the grain drill. If 

 planted in rows, the seed should be sown with a hand seed 

 drill similar to that used for beets or turnips. It will require 

 about 3 pecks of seed per acre of the medium green soy bean 

 when seeded in drills 16 inches apart. If the seed is broad- 

 cast, a bushel will be none too much for an acre. It will 

 probably not be wise to attempt to grow soy beans in Maine 

 for the seed, but if this is done, the drills should be at least 

 18 inches apart and the soil should be kept stirred and clean, 

 as in the case of ordinary field beans. If wanted for silage, 

 the beans can be grown alone or planted with corn. The latter 

 method is quite strongly recommended, the seeds being mixed 

 and put in the planter in the proportion of 10 quarts of corn 

 to 7 of beans. The forage from this mixture can be fed green 

 or cut for the silo. 



