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 CONNECTICUT 
 
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 NEW HAVEN, CONN. 
 
 BULLETIN 179, OCTOBER, 1913. 
 
 SOY BEANS. 
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 The Soy Bean Plant 3 
 
 Composition 4 
 
 Yield 5 
 
 Possible Uses in Connecticut 6 
 
 Varieties 7 
 
 As to Planting 9 
 
 Our Own Experience 9 
 
 The Bulletins of this Station are mailed free to citizens of Con- 
 necticut who apply for them, and to others as far as the editions 
 permit. 
 
CONNECTICUT AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 
 
 OFFICERS AND STAFF. 
 
 BOARD OP CONTROL. 
 His Excellency, Simeon E. BaldAvin, ex-officio, President. 
 
 Prof. H. W. Conn, Vice President Middletown 
 
 George A. Hopson, Secretary Wallingford 
 
 E. H. Jenkins, Director and Treasurer New Haven 
 
 Joseph. W. Alsop Avon 
 
 Wilson H. Lee Orange 
 
 Frank H. Stadtmueller Elmwood 
 
 James H. Webb Hamden. 
 
 Administration. E. H. Jenkins. Ph.D., Director and Treasurer. 
 
 Miss V. E. Cole, Librarian and Stenographer. 
 Miss L. M. Brautlecht, Bookkeeper and Stenographer. 
 William Veitch, In charge of Buildings and Grounds.. 
 
 Chemistry. 
 
 Analytical Laboratory. John Phillips Street, M.S., Chemist in Charge. 
 E. Monroe Bailey, Ph.D., C. B. Morison, B.S., 
 C. E. Shepard, G. L. Davis, Assistants, 
 Hugo Lange, Laboratory Helper. 
 V. L. Churchill, Sampling Agent. 
 Miss E. B. Whittlesey, Stenographer. 
 
 Proteid Research. 
 
 T. B. Osborne, Ph.D., Chemist in Charge. 
 Miss E. L. Ferry, M.S., Assistant. 
 
 Botany. 
 
 G. P. Clinton, S.D., Botanist. 
 
 E. M. Stoddard, B.S., Assistant. 
 
 Miss M. H. Jagger, Seed Analyst. 
 
 Miss E. B. Whittlesey, Herbarium Assistant. 
 
 Entomology. 
 
 W. E. Britton, Ph.D., Entomologist; State Entomologist.. 
 B. H. Walden, B.Agr., First Assistant. 
 Q. S. Lowry, B.S., I. W. Davis, B.S., Assistants. 
 Miss F. M. Valentine, Stenographer. 
 
 Forestry. 
 
 Walter O. Filley, Forester; also State 
 
 Forester and State Forest Fire Warde 
 A. E. Moss, M.F., Assistant Station Forester. 
 Miss E. L. Avery, Stenographer. 
 
 Plant Breeding. 
 
 H. K. Hayes, M.S., Plant Breeder. 
 C. D. Hubbell, Assistant. 
 
SOY BEANS. 
 By E. H. Jenkins. 
 
 The Soy bean has been grown for human food in Man- 
 churia, northern India and Japan for ages. It was first raised 
 in this country early in the last century and as a farm crop 
 in the early eighties. 
 
 With us it is only grown at present for cattle feed, green 
 manuring and oil and seed production. 
 
 Its use as a forage crop is still quite small but it is extend- 
 ing in widely separated regions, for some varieties may be 
 grown for forage wherever corn can be raised. 
 
 This bulletin gives some facts about the crop and the uses 
 which farmers may make of it, in the belief that it has a 
 place among paying crops and should at least be tested care- 
 fully in Connecticut. 
 
 THE SOY BEAN PLANT. 
 
 The soy bean, (Soja bean) is an annual, growing best in 
 warm weather and killed by moderate frost. It stands 
 drought rather better than corn or cow peas. It has a branch- 
 ing stem ranging in height, according to the variety, from 
 eighteen to fifty inches or more. 
 
 The somewhat hairy leaves, as the picture shows, consist 
 of three leaflets. 
 
 The flowers, white or purple, borne in clusters, are abun- 
 dantly self-fertile. Different varieties, planted together, may 
 occasionally hybridize but not abundantly. 
 
 Each of the thick, hairy pods contains two, three, or four 
 seeds. 
 
4 CONNECTICUT EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN NO. 179. 
 COMPOSITION OF THE CROP. 
 
 The following analyses, made of the Massachusetts station 
 furnish a comparison of soy bean forage and seed with those 
 of other commonly used feeds. 
 
 The forage compares in feeding value with clover and 
 alfalfa and the beans have about the same percentage of pro- 
 tein and twice as much fat as linseed meal. 
 
 The forage and seed therefore supply a very concentrated 
 feed capable of reducing greatly the need of boughten con- 
 centrates. Both are relished by cattle and have proved to be 
 satisfactory for feeding dairy stock, sheep and swine. 
 
 COWPEAS AS A COVER CROP. 
 
 It is a hot weather, dry weather crop, does its nitrogen- 
 gathering and makes its growth quickly and can be harvested 
 
SOY BEANS. 
 
 in time to fit the land for winter grain. Its high protein con- 
 tent, fitness for a variety of soils, moderate fertilizer require- 
 ments and other qualities make it worth a trial. 
 
 PERCENTAGE COMPOSITION AND DIGESTIBLE NUTRIENTS OF SOY 
 BEAN COMPARED WITH THAT OF OTHER FEEDS. 
 
 Composition 
 
 Digestible 
 
 ^ % ^ 
 
 Soy beans 40 80 
 
 Alfalfa 6 80 
 
 Red clover 13 80 
 
 Corn fodder 76 80 
 
 Soy beans .... 8 1.4 
 
 Cotton seed meal 404 7 
 
 Linseed meal O. P. 138 8.5 
 
 <" 1- u 
 
 O ^ Mo 
 
 I- rt: o nj 
 
 ^ Fm fi( i i: 
 
 ■^ Green Forase ^ <u 
 
 2.2 3.9 5.1 8.1 
 
 2.7 6.2 9.1 
 
 3.1 5.7 8.8 
 
 1.6 4.6 12.4 
 
 Seed or Meal. 
 
 32.8 4.4 26.9 
 
 44.6 6.5 25.2 
 
 34.3 8.5 36.4 
 
 1.6 
 1.8 
 1.0 
 
 4.8 
 5.2 
 
 0.7 
 0.4 
 06 
 0.4 
 
 17.1 
 
 10.0 
 
 7.1 
 
 3.0 
 2.0 
 2.0 
 9 
 
 29.8 
 37.5 
 30.5 
 
 2,2 
 2.7 
 3.0 
 2.8 
 
 2.3 
 
 4.8 
 
 i fe 
 
 0.3 
 0.2 
 0.4 
 0.3 
 
 6.3 
 6.6 
 6.3 
 9.4 
 
 21.8 
 19.7 
 28.4 
 
 15.9 
 9.4 
 6.3 
 
 YIELD. 
 
 When grown for seed, yields reported by the New Jersey 
 Station range from 15 to 25 bushels per acre and 100 pounds 
 of cured forage to each bushel of seed. The Ohio station 
 gives yields of 19 to 28^ bushels from different varieties, with 
 an average of about 18 bushels, and 62 to 116 pounds of straw 
 for each bushel of seed. 
 
 The Delaware station reports, as average of five years' 
 tests with different varieties, from 14.6 to 35 bushels 
 per acre. Of 57 varieties tested in that state, 30 yielded 25 
 bushels or more and 10 produced over 30 bushels. 
 
 The Massachusetts station reports an average yield of 24.4 
 bushels of seed and 1,950 pounds of straw. The Medium 
 Green variety at that station yielded 10.3 tons of green fodder 
 as against 16 tons of Longfellow corn fodder. The cost of 
 growing the two crops was about the same and the acre yield 
 of three feed ingredients in pounds was : — 
 
 Protein Fat Fiber 
 
 In green soy bean forage 
 In Longfellow corn fodder 
 
 1,167 234 
 871 290 
 
 1,418 
 1,626 
 
6 CONNECTICUT EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN NO. 179. 
 
 Other states report 5 to 10 tons of green fodder as a general 
 average, with a feeding value about like alfalfa. 
 
 USES IN THIS STATE. 
 
 The most obvious use of soy beans is as a catch crop. If 
 winter grain, fall or spring-sown clover, or grass seed fails, 
 soy beans, drilled just after corn planting or even late in June, 
 will yield a soiling crop of excellent quality for use in late 
 August and into September and may be removed in time to 
 seed winter grain. 
 
 By planting several varieties which differ in their periods 
 of growth, the period in which the crop can be fed green 
 may be prolonged from August 15 to frost. 
 
 The best time for cutting is when the pods are well formed 
 but before the lower leaves have begun to turn yellow and fall. 
 
 It can also he silaged, not alone but with corn or late-sown 
 millet at the rate of two loads of either to one of soy beans, 
 using a corn binder to harvest them,. 
 
 Growing soys in the hill with corn has not been generally 
 successful in other states. 
 
 Soy bean hay is about equal to alfalfa if it is successfully . 
 cured and the stems are not too coarse. For hay, varieties 
 must be chosen having tender stems, maturing rather early, 
 and the rate of seeding should be heavy. 
 
 Soy beans as a green manure in young orchards offers a 
 good chance to test different varieties, and learn methods of 
 handling, etc. They can be drilled the first of June, cultivated 
 for a month and then, when orchard cultivation naturally 
 stops, they will grow rapidly, taking moisture and plant food 
 and checking somewhat the tree growth. 
 
 In late September, or earlier, if early sorts are used, they 
 can be plowed or disked and rye sown, or they can be left to 
 be cut down by frost and lie until spring on the ground. 
 
 In this way the owner may test rates of seeding and try 
 a number of varieties and find which will mature seed and 
 which will yield the best forage. He will also get his land 
 inoculated, thus probably increasing his yields from year to 
 year, as well as the nitrogen-gathering from the air. 
 
SOY BEANS. 7 
 
 For Seed. While prices of soy beans are as high as at 
 present, growing for seed has been profitable. For this they 
 should be planted rather thinner than for forage, using 
 varieties which will nearly ripen before frost and which do 
 not shatter badly. When the leaves have begun to turn yellow 
 and drop and the pods are browning, light frosts will not in- 
 jure the seed. 
 
 A bean threshing machine is desirable though a grain 
 thresher may be adjusted to do fairly good work. 
 
 SOY BEANS FOR HOG PASTURE. 
 
 In southern states this bean has been used for hog 
 pasture. Bulletin 154 of the Alabama station reports ex- 
 perience in pasturing lots of ten pigs, each weighing at the 
 beginning about 45 pounds, on an acre of soy beans for from 
 43 to 62 days, feeding at the same time to each lot either one, 
 two, or three pounds of corn daily per 100 pounds live weight. 
 The total value (7 cents per pound) of the pork made on 
 each acre, after deducting the cost of the corn feed, was 
 
 with y^ ration corn as above $28.23 
 
 u ^ u u u u 25.84 
 
 "■ ^ " " " " 39.13 
 
 These are averages of three years' experience. 
 
 VARIETIES. 
 
 The experience of Massachusetts may safely be applied to 
 Connecticut conditions of climate. 
 
 The Medium Green variety, brought from Japan by Prof. 
 W. P. Brooks, of the Massachusetts station, and grown at the 
 station more or less for 25 years, has only been injured by 
 frost twice during the time. Prof. Brooks says of it, "On 
 good land not extravagantly fertilized it grows about breast 
 high, and can. be depended upon, when planted in rows about 
 2 feet apart, at the rate of a half bushel of seed to the acre, 
 to yield about 12 tons of forage harvested when the pods are 
 mostly filled but before they begin to ripen." 
 
8 CONNECTICUT EXPERIMENT STATION. BULLETIN NO. 179. 
 
 The Medium Yellow, which Prof. Brooks regards as 
 essentially the same as Ito San, is fairly satisfactory but does 
 not yield as much seed or forage as the medium green. 
 
 The Early White ripens before frost as surely as corn. It 
 is too small for forage. 
 
 The station will greatly enlarge its test of varieties in con- 
 nection with selection work and hopes to have the most prom- 
 ising varieties growing at its farm next summer. 
 
 COVER CROP OF SOY BEANS, ABOUT FORTY INCHES HIGH. 
 
 In New Jersey Ito San is one of the best varieties for early 
 maturity of seed. Planted June 1, it was harvested September 
 10, and had matured seed when planted July 27, but this 
 must be exceptional. 
 
 The Wilson stands between the seeding and soiling varie- 
 ties. It is lighter in stalk than Ito San and somewhat twin- 
 ing in habit. 
 
EXPERIENCE WITH SOY BEANS. V 
 
 AS TO PLANTING. 
 
 Inoculation. It is harder, in our experience, to thoroughly 
 inoculate land for soy beans than for other legumes. Like 
 alfalfa, a partial inoculation the first year makes it quite effect- 
 ive in the following year. The best material is 500 pounds 
 of soil from a field where the crop has grown well. Failing 
 this, the artificial cultures of the trade may be used, although 
 our experience with them has not been encouraging. 
 
 A well-prepared seed bed is as desirable for soy beans as 
 for all other seeded crops. 
 
 Rate of Seeding. For seed production, drill the beans in 
 rows 24-36 inches apart (20 inches is suitable for the small 
 early varieties), and drop the beans 2-4 inches apart in the 
 row, covering about an inch deep. 
 
 With rows 30 inches apart, 10-12 quarts of seed to an acre 
 are needed. 
 
 The cultivation costs about as much as corn cultivation. 
 
 For growing forage, seeding may be done with a wheat 
 drill, using Ij/^ bushels per acre, thus avoiding the expense of 
 cultivation. 
 
 Fertilizers. Land fit for corn is fit for soy beans, only an 
 amount of available nitrogen necessary for corn is not 
 required by soys. 300 pounds of acid phosphate or of basic 
 phosphate and 100 pounds of muriate of potash on lands 
 which are not in good condition will no doubt pay in many 
 cases. 
 
 Our Own Experience. 
 
 Many years ago we planted soy beans, on very light, sandy 
 soil of the Montowese plain, with a moderate amount of phos- 
 phate and potash and without inoculation. The beans grew 
 about a foot high and were a failure. The next year on the 
 same land they grew waist high and were very thrifty. No 
 record of yields was kept. In 1910 and 1911 they were grown 
 on the Centerville farm in plots severally inoculated with vari- 
 ous commercial inoculating cultures, none of which proved 
 
10 CONNECTICUT EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN NO. 179. 
 
 very effective, but the second year's crop was larger than the 
 first year's, indicating a natural inoculation of the land. 
 
 The variety was an early one yielding 1,254 pounds of well 
 dried seed, about 20.9 bushels per acre and 1,339 pounds of 
 straw, or 64 pounds of straw to the bushel of grain. The an- 
 alyses are given on p. 12. In 1912 soy beans were grown as a 
 
 NODULES CONTAINING NITROGEN-GATHERING BACTERIA 
 ON ROOTS OF SOY BEAN. 
 
 cover crop on the Mt. Carmel orchard (trees set two years). 
 They were planted late, July 20th, and made unsatisfactory 
 growth. 
 
 In 1913 the Hollybrook soy bean was drilled in rows 26 
 inches apart on June 12th, where soys had grown the year 
 
EXPERIENCE WITH SOY BEANS. 
 
 11 
 
 before. The orchard received 1 ton ground limestone, 133 lbs. 
 nitrate of soda, 116 lbs. acid phosphate and 160 lbs. muriate 
 of potash per acre. The beans were cultivated a few times 
 before July 15, when cultivation ceased. During July and 
 August there was very little rain and all crops suffered. On 
 September 27 the soys were dark green, about 40 inches high. 
 
 COVER CROP OF SOY BEANS ON LEFT, BUCKWHEAT ON RIGHT. 
 
 a few bottom leaves turning yellow. The pods had set, but 
 were still very immature. The roots were abundantly set with 
 nodules. From a measured area the plants were gathered, 
 weighed and analyzed, with the results on p. 12. calculated 
 to the acre. The first killing frost came on October 21. At 
 that time the pods had not browned much but the seed was 
 plump and cured well. 
 
12 CONNECTICUT EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN NO. 179. 
 
 On Other plots buckwheat and cow peas were grown under 
 like soil conditions, for comparison of their value as cover 
 crops, and harvested at the same time. The results in pounds 
 per acre are as follows : — 
 
 Soy Beans Cow Peas Buckwheat 
 
 Water 
 
 Mineral matter 
 Vegetable matter 
 
 12,913 
 
 641 
 
 3,323 
 
 16,515 
 560 
 
 2,522 
 
 8,200 
 
 340 
 
 2,490 
 
 Total yield 
 
 Nitrogen 
 Phosphoric acid 
 Potash 
 
 16,877 
 
 96 
 17 
 
 68 
 
 19,597 
 
 72 
 11 
 
 72 
 
 11,030 
 
 53 
 12 
 79 
 
 It appears that this year the soy beans yielded considerably 
 more vegetable matter and nitrogen than did either the cow 
 peas or buckwheat. 
 
 The analyses and yields per acre of the soys grown for 
 
 seed in 1911 at Centerville and in 1913 at Mt. Carmel for 
 
 forage, (Hollybrook variety) with acre yields are as 
 follows : — 
 
 Per 
 cent 
 
 Water 5 73 
 
 Ash 6.64 
 
 Protein 3.75 
 
 Fiber 42.65 
 
 Nitrogen - free extract.. 40.35 
 
 Fat (ether extract) . . . 0.88 
 
 Centerville 
 
 Mt. 
 
 Carmel 
 
 Straw 
 
 
 Beans 
 
 Soy Bean Forage 
 
 Pounds 
 
 Per 
 
 Pounds 
 
 Per 
 
 Pounds 
 
 per acre 
 
 cent 
 
 per acre 
 
 cent 
 
 per acre 
 
 
 5.21 
 
 
 76.51 
 
 12913 
 
 
 5.09 
 
 
 3.80 
 
 641 
 
 SO 
 
 40.75 
 
 511 
 
 3.55 
 
 599 
 
 571 
 
 4.30 
 
 54 
 
 6.50 
 
 1099 
 
 540 
 
 28.09 
 
 352 
 
 9.09 
 
 1535 
 
 11 
 
 16.56 
 
 207 
 
 0.55 
 
 93 
 
 16,878 
 
 Two varieties from L. P. Nemzek, Gibbsboro, N. J., were 
 grown for seed. They were labeled "304" and "Kentucky". 
 Both fully matured their seed in late September. "304" is 
 stated to be Ito San previously grown in Kansas, "Kentucky" 
 
EXPERIENCE WITH SOY BEANS. 13 
 
 is a variety imported from Manchuria in 1911 and success- 
 fully grown in Kentucky in 1912, Both were rather small 
 •varieties, planted in rows 20 inches apart. "304" yielded 
 784.6 lbs., or 13.1 bushels of dry seed per acre, with 1,331 lbs. 
 of straw. 
 
 The average height of the stalk (387 measurements) was 
 22.9 inches and average number of pods per plant 18. 
 
 The Kentucky variety was apparently a better yielder, ten 
 days later in maturity, but the stand was too uneven to make 
 a reliable measurement for yield. 
 
 The average height of the stalks was 19.2 inches (498 
 measurements) and average number of pods per plant 39. 
 
 The Hollybrook variety referred to above stood about 40 
 inches high and was much later in maturing than either Ito 
 San or Kentucky. The leaves had not yet turned yellow when 
 killing frost came, early in November. The seed was how- 
 ever plump and apparently uninjured. It was not harvested 
 until November 25th. 
 
 The composition of the three varieties of beans grown here 
 in 1913 was as follows, calculated to ten per cent, of 
 moisture : — 
 
 Water 
 
 "304" 
 
 . 10.00 
 
 . 4.89 
 
 . 34.02 
 
 , . 5.67 
 
 . . 27.69 
 
 , . 17.73 
 
 Soy Beat 
 "304" 
 
 Kentucky 
 
 10.00 
 
 5.54 
 35.98 
 
 4.26 
 25.56 
 18.66 
 
 is 
 
 Hollj'brook 
 
 10.00 
 
 Ash 
 
 5.07 
 
 Protein 
 
 32.97 
 
 Fiber 
 
 6.35 
 
 Nitrogen-free extract . , 
 Fat 
 
 28.32 
 17.29 
 
 
 
 - 
 
 100.00 
 
 100.00 
 
 100.00 
 
The Uses of The Agricultural Station 
 And How It May Help The Farmer. 
 
 The main purpose of this Station is "to promote agriculture 
 by scientific investigation and experiment." The results of 
 this study and experiment were at first printed in its bulletins 
 and reports. But as the station work has increased this could 
 not be done because of limits imposed by law on the size of 
 our reports. Much of the research work, therefore, which is 
 not of immediate practical use to farmers has been printed in 
 various technical journals. Our reports and bulletins sum- 
 marize and discuss such results of finished work as are of 
 present use to the farmers. 
 
 Thus they give information on fertilizers, cattle foods, 
 human food and drugs, on insects and plant diseases which 
 injure crops, and the use of sprays and other means of killing 
 these pests, on the management of woodland, on the practice 
 of plant breeding, etc. They are for careful reading and 
 study. 
 
 But there is another valuable kind of work which this sta- 
 tion does, which is not so well understood or appreciated, 
 because it has been entirely done by correspondence with 
 individuals and therefore never shows in print. To this we 
 wish to call special attention. There are of course many sub- 
 jects of great importance to farmers which our bulletins and 
 reports do not touch. 
 
 This must be so for no Station without vastly larger funds 
 than our own can do creditable work in all those departments 
 of science, which can serve the farmer. On many of these 
 subjects members of the staff can give helpful information and 
 advice, or if not will refer the inquirer to the persons or 
 institutions which can give it. The number of letters and 
 manuscript reports daily sent by the station, averaging forty 
 for every working day in the year, gives some idea of the 
 extent of this service to individual farmers at the present time. 
 If copies of these letters were accessible to farmers it is safe 
 to say they would be found less formal, but more practical 
 
and immediately helpful and covering a very much larger field 
 of know^ledge than our printed bulletins and reports. 
 
 Every farmer in the state has the privilege and the right to 
 apply to the Station for any information he needs and the 
 Station will give every such request its best attention. It will 
 also issue from time to time bulletins which will not deal 
 exclusively with its own^ work, but will combine with it other 
 information which it may have at command and which its 
 correspondence shows is of general interest and value. 
 
 The aim of county advisers, agricultural experts, and the 
 whole extension movement is to bring the work of the Agri- 
 cultural College and Stations to the individual farmer and 
 such Avork property planned and carried out will be of great 
 value. The point of this paragraph is, on the other hand, to 
 urge farmers to come themselves directly to the station, to 
 bring the farmer to the Station, for it is distinctively his 
 institution and for his use and he is always welcome. 
 
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