H. G. Hastings Co., Seedsmen, Atlanta, Georgia 
95 
Early Velvet Beans 
The South’s Soil Salvation 
No man or woman ever needed salvation in the relig:ious sense any more than the 
average cotton growing soils of the South need salvation in the physical or land 
building sense. We say this in all reverence and without disrespect to the Creator 
of all things. 
A piece of virgin land, deep and rich with vegetable matter and plant food, is Just 
as much a part of God's work as you are and should be treated as such instead of 
robbed and squandered as we and our ancestors have been doing. 
The washed out hill lands of the upper Cotton Belt and the sandy lands of the 
lower belt all need, and need badly, soil salvation. It is up to you and to us to bring 
this salvation to them in the shape of these crops turned under. Cowpeas are good, 
but Velvet Beans are far better because they make far more growth. 
The middle and northern part of the Cotton Belt were largely denied the use of the 
Velvet Bean until the origination and distribution of the early and extra early va- 
rieties that reach full or nearly full maturity even in the most northern part of our 
section. Every year sees hundreds of thousands of new Velvet Bean acres added to 
the South’s total acreage. 
With the spread of the planting. Velvet Bean Meal mills have sprung up in Georgia, 
Alabama and Mississippi and Velvet Bean Meal is successfully competing in the mar- 
kets as a competitor of Cottonseed Meal as a dairy and live stock feed. 
Every acre of Velvet Beans planted means first of all, soil improvement; second, 
a crop of beans that has a cash value for market or of still greater value to be fed the 
stock at home. 
Plant Velvet Beans in Corn 
Every acre of upland or second bottom corn in the Cotton Belt ought to be planted 
in Velvet Beans at rate of about one peck (15 lbs.) per acre. This plan means more 
forage than cowpeas will make, plus six to ten bushels of beans, without decreasing 
the usual yield of corn. We do not advise planting in bottom land corn. The growth 
on bottom land would be so heavy as to break down the corn. 
South of a line drawn east and west through Macon, Georgia , Montgomery. Ala- 
bama, and Jackson, Mississippi, plant the beans between the stalks of corn (2 beans 
to each place) about one month after corn planting. North of that line plant at the 
same time with the corn. Our experiments at the Hastings Farm have clearly dem- 
onstrated to us that in the northern half of the Cotton Belt the beans should be 
planted in the rows at corn planting time instead of later if best results are to be 
gotten from the crop. 
On the Hastings’ Plantation we plant the Bush Velvets in rows between 7-foot corn 
rows, the same as Mung Beans in corn. The Bush Velvets don't run on the corn and 
we have been especially well pleased with them. They can be easily cut and cured for 
hay and the grain yield equals the Early Velvet.- Plant some of these Bush Velvets 
this year and we believe you will add greatly to your acreage in the future. 
Extra Early Velvet Bean (No. 605) graph shows clusters of the 
Early Velvet grown in Middle Georgia where the seed matured perfectly in four 
months. It has the strong growing characteristics of the old variety, a crop of which 
turned under was estimated to do the land more good than a ton of average guano per 
acre. Extra Early Velvet is the one best variety for the middle and northern section of 
the Cotton Belt, gathering nitrogen from the air like cowpeas, making two or three 
times as much growth and pods and adding a supply of vegetable matter to your soil 
that will show for years to come in your crop. Plant in rows 4 to 5 feet apart, drop- 
ping 2 seeds every 12 to 15 inches. Cultivate once or twice and then let them alone. 
They will take care of themselves and everything else on the land. Packet, 10 cents; 
pound, 25c; 2 lbs., 45c; postpaid. Not prepaid: 15 lbs. (pk.), 75c; 60 lbs. (bu.), $2.50. 
Bush Velvet Beans 
/IJm ROT^ planted in rows 
^nvi WW i ) or in corn anywhere the Ex- 
tra Early can be grown. It grows 2 to 3 
feet high, spreading from 2 to 6 feet, de- 
pending on soil. It matures about the same 
as the Extra Early, yields about the same 
per acre in beans and makes fine hay. It 
will not climb or run and is a great soil 
improver. The Bush Velvet is fast coming 
into popularity and its ease of handling 
compared with the running type makes it 
particularly desirable. It is our experience 
that farmers who have once planted this 
Bush Velvet will plant it on all their Vel- 
vet Bean acreage. Try it this year along 
with the Extra Early. AVe are sure you 
Avill be much more than pleased. Packet, 
10c; pound, 30c; 2 pounds, 50c; postpaid. 
Not prepaid; 15 lbs. (pk.), $1,00; 60 lbs. 
(bu.), $3.50. 
QUANTITY PRICES 
■Write for special prices on quantity 
lots when ready to buy. Velvet Beans 
are subject to market changes. We will 
give you our very best prices. 
EXTRA 
EARLY 
VELVET 
BEANS 
Bush Velvet Beans 
