LEGUMES AND OTHER FORAGE PLANTS 305 



including the bean) is ground and roasted, the sugary pulp 

 is caramelized and the material makes a fine and readily 

 soluble substance of good flavor which can be used as a sub- 

 stitute for coffee. A company has recently been organized to 

 put this material on the market. 



Carob bean (Ceratonia siliqua) is another leguminous tree 

 of much importance in tropical countries. It is a native of 

 the Mediterranean region. Ordinarily it does not attain as 

 great a size as the algaroba. The tree bears leathery pods 

 4 to 9 inches long and i inch wide. The dark green leaves 

 are simply pinnate. The tree is extremely long-lived. From 

 the age of 20 to 60 years each tree may be expected to bear 

 200 to 300 pounds of pods annually. The pulp of the pod 

 contains 50 to 60 per cent, of sugar and this material is much 

 used as a stock feed by the Arabs. It has long been imported 

 into England under the name locust bean or St. John's bread. 

 The pulp has also been used from the earliest antiquity as a 

 human food and to some extent is made into a jam like tama- 

 rind. The carob bean has been introduced into California, 

 where it appears to thrive well. 



The pigeon pea, also sometimes called Porto Rican pea, 

 on account of its wide use as human food among the Porto 

 Ricans, is an erect and much branched legume which, if 

 allowed to grow for several years, becomes semi-shrubby. Its 

 botanical name is Cajcmus indicus and the plant is native of 

 India. It is now extensively cultivated throughout the Tropics. 

 The green peas are used as human food in place of garden 

 peas and in India the ripe peas are also used as human food. 

 The ripe peas are favorite feed for chickens. For this pur- 

 pose it is merely necessary to plant the chicken yard to this 

 crop. The plants live as perennials and bear pods the year 

 round which shed their peas so as to make an almost constant 

 supply of feed for chickens. The plant is also useful at the 

 same time as shade for poultry. Pigeon pea is also extensively 

 used as a windbreak and as a green manure. The plant has 



