Science: Jack & the Soybean

"Soy Beans Set Pace for Chicago Grains," headlined the New York Times one day last week, marking another new high for the most fantastic legume since Jack & the beanstalk. In 1917 the U.S. produced only 1,000,000 bushels of soybeans, in 1923 only 6,541,000; but last week crop experts foresaw a harvested soybean crop of 110,000,000 bushels—plus perhaps as much again that will be plowed under as fertilizer, used as pasturage, cured as hay or stored as silage. Next year the U.S. may well overtake Manchukuo (140,000,000 bu.) as the No. 2 soybean...

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