January, 1912. J 



11 



Oils and Fats. 



THE SOY BEAN IN INDIA : 

 GLYCINE HISPIDA. 



By David Hooper. 



(From t\\e\Agricultural Ledger, 

 1911, No. 8.) 



Introduction. 

 The original home ot the Soy bean 

 plant Glycine hispida, Maxim., Cf. ijoja, 

 Sieb. and Zucc.) is the extreme east of 

 Asia, and it has been long cultivated all 

 over the east between Japan and Java. 

 According to Aitou it was introduced 

 into England in 1790, and according to 

 Professor Church it has met with some 

 successful cultivation in Europe since 

 1873. Notwithstanding its recommend- 

 ation, the Soy bean has never been 

 cultivated to any considerable extent 

 in England and the Continent of Europe. 

 The plant was introduced into the 

 United States of America in 1854, and 

 was grown to a small extent in the 

 Southern States, but from the year 1885 

 its cultivation as a forage crop has 

 gained in importance in all the agricul- 

 tural centres. Within the last two or 

 three years a great deal of interest has 

 been taken in the cultivation of Soy, 

 and experiments are in progress in 

 Government Farms in Cape Colony, 

 Natal, East Africa, Gambia, Mauritius 

 and Australia. 



It is difficult to ascertain the date of 

 the introduction of Soy beans into 

 India. There is no doubt that certain 

 hill tribes, mostly of Mongolian origin, 

 nave cultivated the bean for a long time. 

 At the Punjab Exhibition held at Lahore 

 in 1864 Soy beans, identified by Dr. 

 Cleghorn, were sent from the Hill 

 States, This is the first record of the 

 beans being exhibited in this country, 

 and shows that the cultivation was on 

 an insignificant scale. 



Experiments in India. 

 In 1882 Messrs. Jardine, Matheson & 

 Co. of Hong-Kong sent a sample of Soy 

 beans for experimental cultivation in 

 the Saidapet Experimental Farm, Mad- 

 ras. The plants raised from these seeds 

 were healthy, but the yield of the crop 

 was small. 



Madras. 



In 1897 Surgeon-Colonel W. G. King, 

 Sanitary Commissioner, Madras, strong- 

 ly advocated the cultivation of Soy bean 

 as a valuable food worthy of the atten- 

 tion of the people. In two experiments 

 carried on at Saidapet during 1897-98, 

 the yield of seed per acre was 468 to 495 

 lbs. respectively. Recent enquiries in 



Madras resulted in the opinion that Che 

 cultivation in the Presidency is still in 

 an experimental stage. 



United Provinces. 

 In 1882 some Japanese Soy beans were 

 sent by the Government of India for 

 trial to Saharaupur. In 1885 very good 

 results were obtained, the black seeded 

 variety giving a yield of 1,121 lbs. per 

 acre, and the white seeded variety 

 giving a yield of 561 lbs. per acre. In 

 1886 the acclimatised seed was widely 

 distributed ; in some cases the crop 

 failed, and in others it was fairly success- 

 ful, but as a rule where seed was har- 

 vested it was said that the pulse was 

 not popular in any form. The Botanical 

 Gardens grew the crop for a few years 

 longer, but as there was no demand for 

 the seeds the cultivation was abandoned. 

 An interest in Soy beau, however, seems 

 to have revived, for the Agricultural 

 Department has this year sent to the 

 Reporter on Economic Products samples 

 of the black variety of Soy beans from 

 forty villages of the United Provinces. 



Central Provinces. 

 At the Experimental Farm at Nagpur, 

 Central Provinces, the beau was grown 

 experimentally from Japanese seed first 

 planted in 1885. Tne yield at the end of 

 the first year was at tne rate of 180 lbs. 

 per acre, but taking the average ot five 

 years the result was 88 lbs. per acre. 

 In the report for 1908-09 it is stated that 

 Soy beans were grown on a small area 

 under field conditions and the yield was 

 lair, but there was little local demand 

 for the seed. It was, however, ground 

 and formed an excellent addition to the 

 diet of the farm cattle. Last year only 

 43 lbs. were obtained on iigUt soil on the 

 Nagpur Farm, the crop being practically 

 a complete failure ; on heavier soil 380 

 lbs. ot seed were raised. 



Bombay. 



Soy beans have been grown at Poona 

 for nine or ten years with varying 

 results, and they have also been tiied 

 at Nadiad in Gujrat and elsewhere in 

 the Bombay Presrdency. In the Experi- 

 mental Farm Beport for 1901 a large 

 yield was chronicled, but next year the 

 crops at Poona and Surat failed. in 

 1901 a yield ot 30l) lbs. per acre was 

 obtained in light laud. One year later 

 nineteen plots were under experi- 

 mental cultivation in India, but with 

 unpromising results, for only five yielded 

 seed enough to repay tne cost ol cultiv- 

 ation. The yield varied from 50 to 2t)3 

 lbs. per acre, and it was found that 

 only when the yield exceeded 200 lbs. 

 was the crop profitable, In 10Ua»(i the 



