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l 30 ~ Bulletin 232  Q
  1. Smaller plants are produced from quite late plantings, with  
i a correspondingly small yield. If the pods are fairly well  Y
filled, the seed of soybeans will dry and harden even tho the  i
y plants are cut or killed by frost while quite green. Such seed  f
l is likely to be undersized but germinates well if given an op-  
i portunity to dry thoroly before threshing. i  
Practically all varieties of soybeans grown extensively in  
this country yield well. In fact, it is remarkable how little  T
the different varieties similar as to time required to mature, is 
differ in yield in most seasons. Hence the most important con-  I
sideration in buying soybean seed is to obtain a variety that  _
will mature at the time desired. '  i
CHARACTER OF THE PLANTS. =  
i The character of the plant determines the ease of harvest-  A
E ing, whether grown for hay or for seed, and also the quality A 
l of the hay. Varieties which grow tall and erect are n;ost` easily  
_ harvested, whereas those with slender stems and abundant foli-  f
age make the best hay. Few varieties combine these charac- > 
ters as perfectly as could be desired, for most of the tall, erect  p
varieties have coarse stems, and most of those whichlmakc the  
finest hay have rather weak stems which tangle badly on rich  ,.
" land. lf the beans are grown for seed production only, there ip
l is of course no lobjection to coarse stems, but usually it is best  j
  to choose a general purpose variety which stands up reasonably  pi
  well, but is not so coarse that stock will not eat most of the hay.  `
° Usually the very small seeded sorts do not yield quite as V
_ heavily of seed as the larger seeded varieties. The difference  
` is not great, however. The size of the seed has no influence upon  -
V the size of plant produced; hence small seeded sorts are much  `
more economical to sow, for a bushel of a small seeded variety :— 
may contain twice as many seeds as a bushel of another hav-  
r ing large seeds, so only half as much seed as the former is requir-  »
ed per acre. The shrewd buyer should be willing to pay more for ,
such seed. Furtlicrinorc, germination of the small seeded sorts  g
is likely to be better in hard crusted ground because the eotyle·  1
dons are smaller and encounter less resistance in breaking thru  .