Hayes and Garber - Cucurbit Breeding

COWPEAS, SOYBEANS, AND VELVET BEANS 151
corn and Florida velevt beans. Chapman's selection has been
increased and distributed under the names "Georgia" and "Hundred-Day
Speckled." This variety requires 120 to 130 days to
mature. The "Alabama" variety, which matures in 170 to 180
days, or about two months earlier than the Florida velvet bean,
was developed from an early maturing plant observed by Blount.
The discovery of these early varieties has greatly increased
the acreage of velvet beans by making it possible to grow them
farther north. In 1914 less than 1,000,000 acres were grown,
whereas, in 1917, over 5,000,000 acres were given to this crop.
Another mutation 1 which is of unusual interest because of
the long viny habit of growth of the velvet bean, is the bush
form discovered recently in the Alabama variety. The appearance
of the bush type has been found in other normally twining
beans such as the common bean, the Lima bean, the hyacinth
bean, and the soybean. The above mentioned bush or "bunch"
velvet bean was discovered by R. Beasley on his farm near Kite,
Ga. He carefully saved the seed of a single plant in 1914 and
from the resultant crop grown in 1915 obtained about 50 bu.
The United States Department of Agriculture is introducing
this variety into various localities of the Southern United States.
For some purposes the bush variety possesses distinct advantages.
For instance when grown with corn it has no tendency
to twine around the corn stalks and pull them down. It is also
better suited for use as a hay crop. In appearance of pods and
seeds, ability of pods to resist decay when on the ground, and
time required to mature, the mutant is practically identical with
the Alabama variety.
Breeding. Some progress has been made in the improvement
of the Florida velvet bean by hybridization and selection at the
Florida experiment station. A bean is desired which will give
a maximum yield of forage and seed of desirable quality. Plants
with bristle-like pubescence or small seeds with thick hulls are
undesirable. Dehiscent pods and also those which decay readily
when lying on moist soil should be avoided. An earlier-maturing
strain has been sought by crossing the Florida velvet bean, which
requires about 200 days to mature, with Yokohama, which requires
about 120 days. It is of interest to point out that from
one cross between late varieties (Florida x Lyon) a segregate was
1 The following information was furnished by the courtesy of DR. C. V.
PIPER.