FIVE ORIENTAL SPECIES OF BEANS. 13 
THE RICE BEAN. 
The rice bean (Phaseolus calcaratus Roxb.; Pls. II and JI) is 
cultivated to a limited extent in Japan, China, India, Mauritius, 
Java, and the Philippines. What is supposed to be the wild original 
occursin India. Twenty lots, consisting of nearly as many varieties, 
have been introduced during the past 11 years. At least one sort 
was introduced previously and has become sparingly naturalized in 
Alabama. (See No. 13380.) 
The plant is strictly an annual and half twining in habit. Planted 
in rows the different varieties grow 12 to 30 inches high and produce 
vining branches 3 to 6 feet long. The leaves closely resemble those of 
the common bean, but not infrequently are 3 lobed. The flowers are 
bright yellow, produced in racemes of 10 to 20. The pods are smooth, 
slender, falcate, straw colored, brownish, or blackish, 3 to 4 inches 
long, and burst open readily at maturity. Though very productive 
of seed, the vining habit of the plant, as well as the shattering, makes 
it difficult to harvest. The flowers are self-fertile, as when bagged 
at Arlington farm they set pods perfectly. 
Like other annua! legumes, the later varieties are much larger in 
growth than the early ones. The late ones are very vigorous in growth 
and make a thick, dense mass of foliage. Such sorts may prove 
valuable as cover crops in the South, but unfortunately they are all 
subject to root-knot. This, together with the shattering of the seed, 
will always militate against their extensive use. 
The varieties differ mainly in their periods of maturity and in the 
color of the seeds. The latter includes straw colored, brown, maroon, 
black, and gray marbled. 
During the past six years all of the varieties have been grown at 
Arlington farm, and several have been tested at Chillicothe and San 
Antonio, Tex.; New Orleans, La.; Agricultural College, Miss.; Au- 
burn, Ala.; Monetta, S. C.; and elsewhere. In the light of present 
knowledge it is not likely that the rice bean will be used in this coun- 
try either as a forage crop or as a cover crop, as other plants fill the 
need better. Nor isit probable that it will be grown for human food, 
notwithstanding its prolific seeding, as the habit of the plant and the 
shattering of the seed make it difficult to harvest. 
The plant is well adapted to practically the same area as the cowpea 
and will doubtless attract attention from time to time. Under pres- 
ent conditions it is very doubtful whether this bean can be economi- 
cally utilized in this country. 
In different parts of India various vernacular names are given to this 
bean, among them Sutri, Sita-mas, Pau maia, Gurush, and Gurounsh. 
In Japan it is called Tsuru-adsuki; in China, Mu-tsa (Shanghai), 
Crab-eye or Lazy-man pea (Soochow), and climbing mountain bean 
(Yachow); in Cuba, where introduced, Little Devil or mambi bean. 
