140 Food-Grains of India. 



The Soy-bean. 

 Glycine Soja, Sieb. and Zucc. 



Synonyms — Soja hispida (Moench.); Dolichos Soja (Linn.); Soja angustifolia (Miq.). 

 Hind. — Bhat, Bhatwan. Punjab — Bhiit. Beng. — Gari-kulay. Naga — Tsu-dza. 



This important bean is the seed of Glycine Soja, a small, 

 sub-erect, trifoliate, hairy annual, with pods generally 3 to 

 4-seeded. It belongs to the natural order Leguminosse, sub- 

 order Papilionaceae, tribe Phaseoleae, and sub-tribe Glycineae : 

 5 genera are included in this sub-tribe. Glycine contains about 

 12 species, chiefly Australian, but 3 are Indian, namely, G. javanica, 

 G. pentaphylla, and our present species. 



The soy-bean forms a considerable article of food in China 

 and Japan. Since 1873 it has been successfully grown, as an 

 experiment, in some of the warmer parts of Europe. It is 

 widely spread in the outer Himalaya, and tropical regions from 

 Kumaun to Sikkim, and the Khdsir, and the Naga Hills to Upper 

 Burma. It is often cultivated, rather largely in Busti and 

 Gorakhpur, Patna and Purniah Districts. 



This crop is generally grown by itself; the seeds are sown 

 from June to September ; the harvesting takes place between 

 November and January. It is consequently a kharif crop. The 

 seeds should be placed at a depth not exceeding i to i >^ inch ; 

 18 plants may be left, after weeding and thinning, to the square 

 yard. A peaty soil, or one rich in organic matter, suits the 

 plant best ; a calcareous soil is also favourable to its growth. 

 Sulphate of potash is a good manure ; nitrogen may be supplied 

 either as nitrate of soda, or, in the case of soils poor in organic 

 matter, in the form of rape or mustard cake, but it is rarely 

 needed, while large applications of nitrogenous manure exert a 

 distinctly injurious effect upon the yield of beans. So far as 

 we know, this very important, vigorous, and productive pulse 

 is not attacked by any insect or parasitic fungus. 



Although there are a number of varieties of the soy-bean, the 

 chief differences between them lying in the size, shape, and colour 



