110 QUEENSLAND AGKICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Fes., 1900. — 
growers, producing a large amount of leaves and vines. They have also a great 
quantity of roots, covered more or less with nodules, which occupy the whole 
of the surface soil and penetrate deeply into the subsoil, thus enabling the 
plants to withstand heat and drought well, and rendering them good forage” 
for inorganic plant foods. 
Three of the varieties have stood over two winters at Redland Bay without 
any appreciable injury, but the others are annual. 
Cow Pea.—There are several varieties of this pulse, but for green manure 
none are superior to the black and clay-coloured varieties, both of which are 
vigorous growers and produce a large amount of vines and leaves. The 
white cow pea (the black-eyed pea of the States), though an exceedingly good 
vegetable, both fresh and dry, is unsuitable for manuring, as, though it produce’ — 
a heavy crop of beans, it only grows a small quantity of vine. Cow peas cal 
be sown as soon as danger of frost is over, but; they do not make a good growt 
till the soil is warm. Under favourable conditions, the crop is fit to plough in . 
from ten weeks to three months after planting, even less in more tropl¢ 
districts, and rather longer on the Downs or in the drier parts. 
The seed can be either sown in drills or broadcast, the former being prefer 
able, as the young plants can then be kept clean till they have taken 
possession of the ground. Sown in drills 3 feet apart, and the seeds 15 inches 
apart in the drill, will take from 12 Ib. to 16 lb. of seed to plant an acre if single 
seeds are sown. If sown broadcast, from 1 to 2 bushels an acre will be required. 
Mr. Briinnich estimates that a crop of cow peas of about 10 tons to the i 
acre will produce 150 Ib. of nitrogen in eight weeks in Northern Queenslan 
which is worth, at the present price of organic nitrogen (53d. per Ib.), £3 7% , 
per acre. ; 
Velvet Bean.—As I have already given a description of this bean in this 
Journal, it is needless to go into detail. This bean is a rapid grower, produces 
an enormous quantity of leaves and vines, and has given as high as 35 bushels — 
of beans to the acre at Redland Bay. It will not stand the winter, but dies oft 
on the approach of cool weather. It should always be planted in drills, and 
should not be sown closer than 4 feet by 1 foot when, if single seeds are sow) — 
22 1b. will plant an acre. This bean is now very largely grown in Florida, where 
it is used both as a fodder plant and asa green manure, and is considered bi 
many competent authorities to be the most all-round valuable plant introduce 
into that State for many years. The velvet bean is not attacked by weevils, 
nor are the pods destroyed by the sucking bugs that do so much damage 
cow peas and many other beans. Under favourable conditions, a crop of velvé 
beans will produce 20 tons to the acre of green manure, which, according to a 
analysis made by Mr. Briinnich at the Queensland Agricultural College, Gatton, 
will yield about 10 1b. of nitrogen to the ton, or 200 lb. to the acre, worth, at the 
present price of organic nitrogen— namely, 10s. per unit or 54d. per lb.—about 
£4 9s. per acre. 
White’s Perennial Cow Pea.—Samples of this bean were obtained by mé 
from Fiji and Cairns, and planted at Redland Bay, It is a true cow pea, with 
small brownish seeds; a very strong grower, producing more vines but less 
tod * . 
leaves than any other cow pea; a rapid grower; said to be perennial under 
tropical conditions, but did not stand the winter at Redland Bay. This variety 
produced a large number of pods, but the bulk of the beans were destroyed by 
sucking bugs, which were especially partial to this variety. I am not aware 0 
any analysis havimg been made of this variety, but should say that it will be 
similar to that of the black or clay-coloured varieties. i 
Small Mauritius Bean.—This bean, which has been previously described 12 
this Journal, is a very strong grower, producing an enormous quantity of leave 
and vines, and forming a dense mass of growth which chokes out all weeds. 
is not a rapid grower at first, so that it is always advisable to plant it in drills, 
but, as soon as it begins to run, it grows very fast. It has stood two winters 4 
Redland Bay without injury, aud has produced a large quantity of seed. It has 
