FIELD OR HORSE BEANS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1474, 24 June 1912, Page 8

FIELD OR HORSE BEANS.

A USEFUL STOCK FOOD. A crop which, according to Mr. T. W. Lonsdale, in tho Agriculture .Department's ".lournal," has received less attention than it merits, in many parts of the Dominion is the common field-bean. This legiimo is used largely,in England for stock-feeding, and takes a prominent placo in the rations of draught horses. Being rich in protein, beans are especially suitable i'or this purpose, and a combination of beans and oats forms ideal food for horses which are daily performing heavy work. As a result of feeding-ex-periments with horses iu America, it was found that 3.51b. of beans are equivalent to lib. of oats, and from this it may safely be inferred that the crop is worthy of consideration. The lield-ljoan is not only useful as food for horses, but is almost equally valuable for other animals.

Like all legumes, it is a soil-renovator, as it adds materially to the nitrogen-con-tent of the soil, i The bacterial development which appaars on the roots of tho plant prove conclusively its valuo in this respect. The crop is regarded in many countries as a cleaning or preparatory crop, and is frequently grown 011 the most weedy portions of the holding, invariably leaving tho land iu an improved condition.

When sown 011 the flat, field-beans can be cut with the binder. The stooks may remain in tho field for an indefinite period, the crop being easily threshed from the stook. Should climatic conditions make harvesting impossible, Ihe crop may be advantageously consumed oii the land by pigs, or converted into ensilage, and is also valuable as green manure.

A crop grown on the Moumaliaki Experimental Farm was sown during the early part of October, at the rate of U bushels per acre, the manure, employed being basic slag M cwt.). and sulphate of potash (Sfilb.) AVhen threshed it yielded ■IS bushels per acre.