THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
February 27 
162 
THE MURORAN BEAN. 
Among a collection of Far Eastern 
legumes distributed several years ago 
for experimental purposes by the Bureau 
of Seed and Plant Introduction, I have 
found a few beans and peas of sufficient 
merit to warrant continued trials. One 
of these is the Japanese Red Muroran 
bean (Phaseolus mungo radiatus), a 
true bean, and closely allied to the com¬ 
mon beans of our fields and gardens (P. 
vulgaris), though the beans and pods 
more closely resemble the cow peas. The 
plants attain a height of 18 to 24 inches, 
branching hut compact, producing pods 
in far greater abundance and maturing 
two weeks earlier than any cow pea in 
the competing list, among which were 
Warren’s Extra Early and New Hybrid, 
JAPANESE RED MURORAN BEAN. Big. 66. 
Old Man’s, New Era and Michigan Fa¬ 
vorite, conceded to be the earliest of all. 
The blossoms, of peculiar spiral form, 
bright yellow, are set close to stems 
and entirely protected by foliage, thus 
rendering it impossible for beating 
rains to make them infertile, as often 
happens with the blossoms of the cow 
pea set on long stems high above the 
foliage. Th® pods, black when mature, 
four to eight inches in length, are borne 
on rather short stems in radiating clus¬ 
ters of four to eight, at the axis of every 
leaf stalk. The plant, both green and 
dry, is readily eaten by cattle and sheep 
but for soiling or hay I do not think it 
can compare with the Soy bean or cow 
pea. The beans are bright, glossy red, 
rather cylindrical in form, harder and 
heavier than either Soy or cow peas. 
They are readily eaten by cattle, sheep, 
hogs and poultry, and it is for this pur¬ 
pose that it will be used, if at all. It is 
worthy of notice that soil that has pro¬ 
duced the common beans does not need 
inoculation with legume bacteria to pro¬ 
duce the Muroran in perfection. 
Michigan. edw. e. evans. 
CORN AND SOY BEANS FOR SILAGE 
A very interesting discussion took 
place at the recent Hamilton, N. Y., 
farmers’ institute, relative to the feeding 
and growing of Soy beans and corn 
mixed for silage. The practice among 
these farmers (and it has become quite 
common), is to plant about six to eight 
quarts of beans and an equal amount of 
corn. Some farmers plant the field 
twice, while others mix the seed and 
plant together. It does not of course 
mix thoroughly; that is, some hills 
would contain one bean and a half dozen 
kernels of corn, some vice versa, and all 
degrees between. Such variation does 
not seem to make much difference in re¬ 
sults. In a majority of cases, however, 
the planting has been done with hand 
planters in order to check-row the crop. 
One farmer, Mr. Burchard, had used an 
Eclipse one-horse planter and liked it. 
Another farmer, Mr. Ingalls, who is a 
pioneer in growing this combination, 
had arranged the common hand planter 
or “stabber” so that there were two 
parts to it, and the corn and beans were 
placed in separate compartments and 
dropped each in its place but in the 
same hill. The cultivation is similar 
to that given corn. Cutting and hand¬ 
ling for the silo is also done in the same 
manner. Of the varieties tested in this 
locality, the Early Green has given by 
far the best results. It seems to ripen 
with such varieties as Pride of the 
North and Early Mastodon. These farm¬ 
ers generally agree that the total ton¬ 
nage was not increased, but also that it 
was not materially decreased, which 
means of course that the protein content 
of the ration is increased so that the dry 
matter has a nutritive ratio of 1:6. 
They also say that where the beans are 
grown successively the roots soon come 
to be covered with nodules, and an in¬ 
crease both of beans and corn seem to 
follow. Another most important point 
of general interest brought out, was the 
fact that success came in growing the 
beans to those who persisted, thereby 
inoculating the soil. 
It seems that we are only just awak¬ 
ening to the great importance of soil 
inoculation for the culture of the le¬ 
gumes. The general opinion expressed 
was that the usual eight to 10 pounds 
of grain as a daily feed for milch cows 
could be safely reduced one-half with¬ 
out loss of milk flow or flesh or even ofi 
vitality. Mr. Ingalls said that when hej 
kept up a full grain feed as compound¬ 
ed for the usual roughage on the farm, 
he got no more milk than when feeding 
half as much, but when the grain was 
entirely dropped out the milk flow at 
once lessened. The only criticism that 
could possibly be made against the prac¬ 
tice, and attendant results, was the ap¬ 
parent lack of dry matter without feed¬ 
ing an unusual weight of hay, which 
would necessitate such a surplus of fiber 
that I would not expect a maximum flow. 
A commendable spirit of neighborly 
frankness and good will was manifest 
throughout the discussion of this ques¬ 
tion by these farmers. The testimony 
was entirely free from prejudice and 
bias, such as one so frequently observes 
in an institute when local issues are 
freely discussed by farmers of a single 
community. h. e. oook. 
“Josiaii,” said Mrs. Chugwater, “have 
you ever seen a bureau of information?’’ 
“Yes,” “What does it look like?” 
“You’ve seen a table of contents, haven’t 
you?” replied Mr. Chugwater, somewhat 
irritably. “Well, it looks like that, only 
it’s larger.”—Chicago Tribune. 
For the land’s sake, use Bowker’s Fer¬ 
tilizers. They enrich the earth.— Adv. 
When you write advertisers mention The 
R.N.-Y. and you will get a quick reply and 
“a square deal.” See guarantee, 14th page. 
SUGAR BEETS FOR STOCK FEED 
BETTER THAN MANGELS . 
Breustedt’s “Elite” and “Elite A” Sugar Beet 
Seeds yield 1500 to 2500 bushels per acre 
H lb.. 25c; ^ lb., 40c; lib., 75c; 2 lbs..$1.25; 4 lbs., 
$2.25—by mail, prepaid. 6 lbs.. $1.75; 10 lbs.. $3.00; 
25 lbs., $6.00: 50 lbs., $11.00; 110 lbs., $20.00-by freight 
or express, not prepaid. Cash with order. 
E. C. POST, M. E., DUNDEE, MICH. 
8ole Agent for United States and Canada. 
STEEL ROOFING. 
100 SQUARE FEET.S2.00 
We Pay Freight East of Colorado. 
Strictly new, perfect, semi-hardened 
steel sheets, 6 and 8 foot long, the best 
roofing, siding or ceiling you can use. 
Nails free. Painted two sides. Flat, cor¬ 
rugated or V crimped. Write for free 
catalog 67 on material from Sheriffs' 
and Receivers’ sales. 
CHICAGO HOUSE WRECKING Co. 
West 85th A Iron Sts., CHICAGO. 
Pli ra | Uqjl Many new routes will go in this year. We 
11 Ml Cl I ITI dll want name and address of every man who 
sends i n a petition. BAV Pnrr to first one sending 
We will send a DUA I II ILL us full information. 
BOND STEEL POST CO., ADRIAN, MICH. 
Cider Machinery—Send for Catalogue to Boomer & 
Boschert Press Co., 118 West Water St., Syracuse,N. Y. 
LAGUME SEEDS I BACTERIA 
NORTHERN CROWN. 
Largest and choicest assortment of Lagume and 
Field Seeds in America. Soy Beans, Field Peas, 
Beans, Cow Peas, Clovers,Vetches, Corn, Oats, Bar¬ 
ley, Wheat, Rye. Buckwheat Millet, Potatoes, etc. 
Send for price list No. 4. 
EVANS SEED COMPANY, Inc., 
West Branch, Midi. 
..GEDN 
FARM.. 
JERSEYS 
Golden Streamer 65000 
Gedney Farm Flying Fox 
Brune Fleur l77535 
Humming Dew l77543 
Briarcliff Dolly l33867 
Anna Melia Lambert 2d 
140898 
Emma of Guilford 
96218 
Favoris Golden Bell 
162089 
POULTRY 
Black Minorcas and 
White Wyandottes 
WINNINGS for 1904 
MADISON SQUARE SHOW 
NEW YORK 
White Wyandottes 
First Cock; 
Second Pen; Special White Bird; 
Special Champion Bird; 
Special Best Shaped Male. 
Black Minorcas 
First Pen; First Cock; 
Second Cockerel; Second Hen. 
FOR SALE - - 
GOLDEN STREAMER 65000 
Young Bulls and Heifers, all ages Few Settings from Prize-Winning Birds 
Prize-Winning Chester White Pigs 
GEDNEY FARM, WHITE PLAINS N. Y. 
FOR SALE 
H. WLLliETS, Owner 
L. E. ORTIZ, Superintendent 
