Soya Beans
pp. 41-42 · Read in the full issue
Possible Islands Crop Has Many Uses
JT has been suggested pom time to time that the production of soya beans in the Pacific Islands is something that might interest Pacific planters—especially those holding land in the more southerly places. The following article by Dr.
Harry Barron, which was published in the Evening Standard, London, on December 8, should be of interest. 11/fANY years ago Henry Ford under took to make cheap motorcars, and the world laughed heartily. It has stopped laughing, because the joke was not on Mr. Ford. Lately, he has said that the soya bean will become a dom inating influence in world affairs. This time the world has laughed with less conviction.
For many centuries the Chinese and the Japanese have existed without the cereals and foodstuffs with which Euro peans are familiar, and almost without meat. They have relied on rice, fish and on the soya bean.
Before the introduction of Western in dustrial methods into Japan, soya beans were first and foremost a source of food.
Now the utilisation of soya beans in Japan has been brought to a fine art.
It has been stated that the main value of Manchuria to Japan is primarily as a source of cheap and ready food for her ever-growing population. Most of Man churia’s cultivated land is devoted to soya beans.
Since 1907, soya beans have been grow ing in importance as a commodity for export all round the world. For example.
Great Britain imported 160,000 tons in 1935. while Germany took no less than 1,000,000 tons in 1934.
There are two applications of the soya bean which have been known for many years. By squeezing the beans an oil is obtained which is something like linseed
oil. The remaining crushed seed forms a very valuable cattle food.
Soya bean oil has been extensively em ployed for the manufacture of paints, varnishes and lacquers. The same oil finds application for linoleum and oil cloth, in the production of rubber sub stitutes, as a lubricant and as core oil in foundries.
As a matter of fact Ford, practising what he preaches has grown soya beans in the United States of America and applied the oil obtained to motorcar manufacture. From results obtained with 12,000 acres of soya beans, he states that 50,000 acres will suppply enough soya products for 1,000,000 cars annually.
This would give 825,000 gallons of oil suitable for enamel, 540,000 gallons for shock-absorber fluid and about 200,000 gallons for foundry work. With the material he has left over from the opera tions already mentioned, Ford makes such things as steering wheels, gear-lever knobs and distributor parts.
By far the largest amount of soya bean oil is employed to make soap. In the United States, Great Britain and Europe, enormous quantities go into soap. One of the greatest English soap companies has employed it for many years. One of the materials obtained in soap-making with soya beans is glycerine, the starting point for high explosives.
When deodorised and refined, the oil is used for margarine. It is also employed for cooking and as an edible oil.
Some idea has been given of the in dustrial importance of the soya bean.
Perhaps of even more importance is its food value. Much has been heard in re cent years about proteins and vitamins.
Proteins are obtained from meat, milk, eggs and bread. The soya bean contains three times the protein content of wheat and eggs, and also those groups of vita mins which are essential to human life.
Moreover, it contains iron, calcium, magnesium and other salts necessary to human welfare. It is a great muscle builder and the phosphorus it contains makes it good for nervous disorders. It
could be the most useful and by far the cheapest method of fighting malnutrition.
In the United States where an area ex ceeding 5,000,000 acres is already planted with soya beans, there has been much activity with the preparation of foods from home-grown soya beans. They make margarine, lard substitute, mayonnaise and salad oils. The beans suitably treated and ground, go into cocoa, drinks of all sorts, swbets, chocolates, cakes, cheese, sausages and bread. Milled into flour, they are used in breakfast foods, beverages, infant and invalid foods.
For many years the flour has been largely used for diabetic sufferers be cause it contains little starch, a lot of protein, and vitamins A, B, D and E. In America, too, special varieties of soya bean plants yield a green vegetable which has taken its place with the standard vegetables. The beans themselves are used in very much the same way as hari cot or butter beans.
The United States is already an ex porter of soya beans mainly to Europe.
Europe has slowly followed suit. In Great Britain many soya bean products are obtainable, although the part played by the bean is not made public. Several well-known sauces have always had it as a principal ingredient.
The soya bean will not grow anywhere.
At one time the idea that it could be grown in England was ridiculed. Thanks to the efforts of an English agriculturist, North, this has been proved to be pos sible.
The soya bean requires a light, dry soil and a hot summer. The great question is whether the English summer is hot enough for it.
Germany has been trying for years to grow soya beans but without success.
The seeds just will not take. Hitler would give anything for Germany to grow soya beans, because all the food troubles would be ended. In England, if we do not like soya bean foods, we don’t buy them. But in Germany, if Hit ler says soya beans are good for you, well, soya beans are good for you.
At present, while Germany imports vast amounts. Russia is already growing large quantities in the lands near Man churia. Canada is following in the steps of the United States and has already some 50,000 acres cultivated.