1 Ave., 1898.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 151 
gentlemen, that itis presumptuous on my part to wish to substitute, for scientific 
methods which have already been proved, a method which presents no particular 
precise features, but which, nevertheless, is the result of scientific research, 
which has established its value. You may think it equally strange that, I 
should have ventured to criticise methods which have already been crowned 
with success, without bringing forward another which might have at least the 
merit of proving of greater advantage. But it is not a substitution that I 
propose : my aim is simply to add to the present methods of investigation the 
result of a long carefully elaborated study, in order to enable manufacturers to 
obtain a greater amount of security in their dealings with those who sell their 
cane to them. Ma 
. THE BLACK MAURITIUS BEAN, 
‘By ALBERT H.’ BENSON. 
Iy my previous paper on the Velvet Bean, I mentioned that we were experi- 
menting, at the Redland Bay Experiment Orchard, with several varieties of 
beans, amongst the number being two so-called Mauritius Beans obtained b 
me from the Colonial Sugar Company’s plantation of Macnade, on the Herbert 
River, where they are used for the purpose of green-crop manuring. The 
present sketch refers to the larger of the two varieties, and the name “ black” 
is chosen on account of the colour of the seed. 
Botanically speaking, this bean is identical with the Velvet Bean described 
in the May number of this Jowrnal, being a variety of the Cowhage or Cow-itch, 
Mucuna pruriens, var. witilis, but differing from the Velvet Bean in its time of 
ripening and appearance of seed, but closely resembling it in its habit of growth 
and the general appearance of the flowers and fruit; though the flower clusters 
of the Black Mauritius Bean are larger and showier than those of the Velvet 
Bean, an individual cluster setting no less than 28 pods. age 
The preparation of the land, method of planting, and after treatment were 
as follow :— et 
The land was forked by hand to a depth of 12 inches, and the soil reduced. 
‘to a fine tilth. “The beans were planted on 138th December, 1897, in rows 8 feet 
apart, and single beans were planted 8 feet apart in the row, each 
plant thus occupying a space of 8 feet square, or 680 plants to the 
acre. Every other plant was manured with stable manure, but as far as can 
be seen there is no difference between the manured and unmanured plants. A 
strong trellis, 7 feet 6 inches high, was erected along the rows, and the plants 
trained on to’ it... With the exception of chipping to keep down surface 
weeds till the plants were able to take care of themselves, no further cultivation 
other than the preparation of the land was given. At first the growth of the 
beans was somewhat slow, and compared, unfavourably with that of the Velvet 
Beans, no heavy growth being made till early autumn, and no flowers appeared 
till the end of May. The growth is best seen by reference to the illustrations 
herewith. At date of writing (4th July) no seed has ripened, but a number 
of well-filled pods have formed, and the vines are strong and vigorous, and, 
though not making rapid growth, are not showing any signs of injury from 
the comparative cold of winter. 
From what I can judge of this bean as grown at Redland, I should say that 
it is better adapted for tropical Northern than for semi-tropical Southern 
Queensland, as its growth in this latter part of the colony has been somewhat 
slow at first, and this is a disadvantage, as for the purpose of green-crop 
manuring a quick-growing and rapidly-maturing bean that will smother out or 
check all weed growth is to be preferred, provided it is of equal manurial value 
—that is to say, equally rich in nitrogen. When grown for green-crop 
manuring it should be planted in rows of from 4 to 6 feet apart, and single 
seeds should be dropped at similar distances in the rows; but where seed is. 
required it should be grown on a trellis or other suitable support, as the 
