Oils and Fats, 



12 



[January, 19 j 2. 



Manjri Farm, Poona, grew nineteen 

 plots with better results, probably 

 due to better soil. The yield of some 

 of the plots was on an average of 

 6a0 lbs. per acre — a highly remunerative 

 return. A year later ic was reported 

 by Mr. Fletcher, Deputy Director of 

 Agriculture, that au experiment made 

 on tne edge of the black cotton soil 

 gave a yield of 1,166 lb. per acre, while 

 adjacent plots gave from 395 to 650 lbs. 

 per acre. 



In the Agri-Horticultural Gardens at 

 Lahore Soy beans planted on a small 

 area in 1894 yielded an estimated crop 

 of 349 lbs. c£ seed per acre and 319 lbs. of 

 fodder. Evidently it varies greatly in 

 suitability to different soils and climates, 

 and does not seem to be adapted to the 

 sea level plains of India. 



Gollan observed that the Japanese 

 plant is erect, attaining a height of 12 

 to i5 inches, while the Himalayan form 

 is a trailing plant. So far this vigorous 

 growing plant does not appear in India 

 to have been attacked by any insect or 

 parasitic fungus. 



Names. 



With regard to Burma Mr. Burkill 

 remarks: " The Burmese grow it under 

 the names of Pe-nga-pi and Pe-kyat- 

 pyin, sowing it never in great quantities 

 along with other beans on the mud 

 banks as the falling rivers leave them 

 bare in October, or more sparingly still 

 away from the rivers. The Kachius and 

 other hill tribes grow a little of it on 

 their hill clearings, the Kachins call it 

 Lasi, The Khasis, the Nagas and other 

 tribes between the Brahmaputra and 

 Upper Assam cultivate it similarly . , . . 

 In the Brahmaputra Valley it is grown 

 as far as known only towards Barpeta 

 in the Kamrup District." 



Soybeans are called "Bhut" in the 

 Punjab, ''Bhat," " Bhatwas" or "Bhat- 

 mas" in the United Provinces and in 

 i he hills as far as Darjeeling, and 

 "Kymbai ktung " in Shiliong and the 

 Khasi Hills. Mr. B. U. Basu gives the 

 Assamese name for Glycine as " Pataui 

 Jokra," and the corresponding Bengali 

 name as"Unhai." In tne JSaga Hills it 

 is called "Tsudza" or "Sudza." It is 

 grown by the Lepchas in Sikkim and 

 is called by them "Salyang" or "Silli- 

 angdun." "Prenaga-pi is the usual 

 name for Soy bean in Burma, but it has 

 been received under the name of "Lasi 

 ehapre turn " from Bhamo, and as ''Lasi 

 M'Loi" and "Lasi JN'Hu" from Myit- 

 kyina. The SauvaJi name appears to be 

 ''Disom Uoree." 



Cultivation. 



Method oj Cultivation,— Soy beau is 

 generally grown by itself as a kharif 

 (rainy season) crop. The seed is sown 

 iu June or July and tne crop is ripe 

 in September or October, three montns 

 afterwards. The seeds should be placed 

 at a depth not exceeding 1 to 1| iucnes. 

 Eighteen plants to the square yard may 

 be left after weeding. The plant pre- 

 fers a peaty soil or one rich in organic 

 matter ; a calcareous soil is also favour- 

 able to its growth. Potassium sulphate 

 or chloride is a good manure. Under 

 ordinary circumstances it is not neces- 

 sary to use any nitrogenous fertiliser as 

 sufficient of this element is usually 

 present in the soil, and like other 

 legumes, this plant assimilates the free 

 nitrogen of the air. 



When grown for seed it has been found 

 that naif to three-quarters of a bushel, 

 or 15 to 20 lbs., per acre is ample. When 

 sown broadcast or drilled iu rows very 

 little cultivation is required. A slight 

 harrowing when the plants are young is 

 all that is necessary. If the drills have 

 not been made too far apart it will be 

 found that the plants will soon shade 

 the soil sufficiently to keep the weeds in 

 check and the surface in good condition. 

 It is well known that the cultivation of 

 leguminous crops enriches a eoil in its 

 available nitrogen content ; certain nitri- 

 fying bacteria attack its roots forming 

 tubercles, and these are capable of trans- 

 forming the nitrogen of the atmosphere 

 into nitrogenous compounds fit for 

 absorption by plants. 



When the Soy bean was first intro- 

 duced into the United States it did not 

 form root tubercles owing to the absence 

 of the particular kind of bacteria in the 

 soil, and in some places the tubercles 

 were not developed though cultivated 

 for a number of years. In other soils 

 which evidently contained the necessary 

 bacteria, the tubercles were developed 

 from the beginning. A soil not contain- 

 ing the bacteria should be inoculated, 

 that is to say, some bacteria must be 

 introduced, 



Green Manure. 

 The value of a crop used as green 

 manure depends on two things : first, the 

 addition of nitrogen to the soil, and 

 second the condition in which it leaves 

 the soil after cultivation. It has been 

 found in the United States that although 

 Soy bean compares very favourably 

 with other leguminous plants as the 

 cowpea and clover as regards the first 

 point, it does not leave the soil in as 

 good a condition as the clover, It has 

 been recommended that when a crop of 



