1 May, 1898.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 37k 
difference between the manured and the unmanured plants, at any rate as far 
as the growth is concerned, thus indicating that the plant is largely an atmos- 
pheric feeder, and, therefore, admirably adapted for green crop manuring. From 
the time of planting (2nd November) to date (81st March) rain fell on 68 
days, the rainfall at times being heavy and continuous.” 
In order to compare the growth of various leguminous plants used for 
green crop manuring with that of the Velvet Bean, the following varicties were 
planted at Redland Bay, viz. :— 
Vigna catiang.—Cow-pea, black and ciay-coloured varieties ; 
Phaseolus lunatus.—TYall Lima Bean ; 
. 
Phaseolus lunatus, var. inamenus.—Horticultural Lima, or Madagascar 
Bean; ; 
” 
Dolichos lablab.— Madagascar, Tonga Bean, or Lablab ; 
Dolichos purpureus.—Poor Man’s Bean ; 
and two varieties of Mauritius Beans obtained from the Coloniat 
Sugar Company, and used by them for green crop manuring in 
‘Northern Queensland. 
The Cow-peas and Lima Beans did not do well, their growth being very 
indifferent, and none of the other beans made as rapid growth or fruited as 
early as the Velvet Bean. ; 
The Poor Maun’s Bean and the smaller seeded of the two Mauritius Beans 
have made very heavy growth, but are not yet in seed. Both varieties seem to 
do well on the ground, but the large black Mauritius Bean, though making a 
heavy growth, appears to do best when trellised. A full description of these 
beans will be given in the Journal when they have fruited. 
: These results seem to indicate that in the Velvet Bean, should it turn out: 
to be as rich in nitrogenous matter and to be as good a fodder as it is stated 
to be by American writers, we shall have a valuable plant for this colony.. 
We have not tried it with stock as yet, as it is not ready, but when made 
into hay and then chaffed it should be equally as good as cow-pea, and the 
latter, when judiciously blended with wheat, oat, corn, or sorghum chaff, is one ~ 
of the best feeds for all kinds of farm stock. When required for green crop. 
manuring it will probably be best planted in rows from 4 feet to 6 feet apart, 
and the beans from 2 feet to 4 feet apart in the row, as from the growth it has 
made at the Gatton College and at Redland Bay it evidently requires plenty 
of room. When required for seed, however, I advise its being planted along- 
side of a rail fence, or being trained on a framework of saplings as it is likely 
to produce much more seed if kept off, than if allowed to run along the ground. 
T hope to have a few seeds for distribution, and anyone who receives three or 
four seeds should be able to produce enough seed next year to give them a 
good start, if the beans are properly planted and taken care of. The supply 
of seed will necessarily be very limited, as we have only fourteen plants in fruit, 
and we shall require a certain quantity for seed for our Experiment Farms in 
order to further test the adaptability of the plant to various parts of the colony, 
and to keep up a supply of seed. An analysis of the plant—root and top—to. 
determine its actual manurial value, and an analysis of the soil on which it is 
grown, will be made, ‘and will be issued in a subsequent number of this Journal. 
OLIVE CULTURE. 
Mr. B. Neyir1z-Roxre, British Consul at Naples, in a report to the Marquess 
of Salisbury on olive culture, gives the following interesting information on 
the cultivation of the fruit in Italy. We give the report in its entirety, as it 
will doubtless be read with interest by all Australian cultivators from Perth to 
Cooktown :— 
