314 



LEGUMINOS^. CLXVIII. Fajba. 



* * Field beans, and their culture^ 



It is only of late years that the bean has been cultivated in 

 Britain upon general soils, being formerly considered as adapted 

 to rich and moist clays. At that time they were all sown in tlie 

 broad- cast method, in which way instead of benefitting the 



The time of sowing beanSy is as early as possible after the 



severity of winter, in the south sometimes in January, but never 



later than the end of March, as the ripening of the crop and its 



safe harvesting otherwise would be very precarious in this 



climate. 



The mode of sowing is almost always in rows ; they are some- 



ground, they were of detriment to it, for weeds got away on the times dibbled, but for the most part drilled by judicious culti. 



outset, and in dry seasons often ruined the crop. 



vators, or deposited after the plough in every furrow, or only 



2'/teJri7/2W^ o/ft^aw^ with a small mixture of peas is now become in every second or third furrow. In the latter method the crop 



general practice in every well cultivated district, more particu- rises in rows at regular intervals of 9, 18, or 27 inches, and the 



larly in those where the soil and climate permit the practice to hand hoc ought to be invariably employed, but it is only where 



the widest intervals are adopted that the horse-hoe can be used 

 with much effect in their subsequent culture. The seed may 



be successfully executed. In this way not only heavy crops are 

 raised, but what is of greater importance, the ground is kept 

 constantly in good order, provided suitable attention is bestowed either be deposited by the drill machine or by the hand. 



upon the clearing process. This is generally carried on by horse- 

 hoeing the crop at different times. 



The dibbling of beans is considered by some as an excellent 

 method, if well performed ; the rows are marked out one foot 



The varieties of the bean may be included under two general asunder, and the seed deposited in holes made by the dibbler 2 



inches apart ; this method is greatly to be preferred to sowing 

 the beans at random, 

 pod are almost the only sorts. Of the grey beans^ that known The quantity of seed is very different in the southern and 



heads, the white or garden beans^ and the grey or field beans. 

 Of the white bean, sown in the fields, the Maza<ran and Lontr- 



as the horse-bean, the small or ticks, and the prolific or Heligo- 

 land, are the chief sorts. New varieties are procured in the 

 same manner as other plants. 



In the choice of sorts, tick-beans are supposed by some far- 

 mers to be more productive than horse-beans, but the latter 

 grow higher in the stem and shade the land more, and are 



northern parts of Britain, in the former, even when in rows, 

 only 2 or 2^ bushels are allowed per acre, but in Scotland 

 seldom less than 4 bushels to an English statute acre, even 

 when sown in rows, 27 inches distant, and a bushel more when 

 sown broadcast. Thin sown crops of beans seldom turn out 

 well, unless upon very rich lands, for unless the rows are close 



consequently the most suitable for the stronger sorts of soi! ; weeds get the better after the clearing process is finished. Both 



in the broad-cast and drill husbandry it is common to mix 

 a small quantity of peas along with beans. This mixture im- 

 proves both the quality and quantity of the straw for fodder, 

 and the peas-straw is usefid for binding up the bean-straw m 

 harvest. 



and Young remarks that the common little horse-bean has the 

 advantage of all others, in being more generally marketable, for 



in certain situations, it is not always easy to dispose of ticks, 

 Windsors, long-pods, and various other large sorts. They also 

 grow higher, shade the ground more from the sun in summer, 

 and yield a larger quantity of straw, which makes excellent 



manure, but some of the other sorts are generally supposed to ing just before the young plants reach the surface 



The after-culture of the bean crop commences with liarroff- 



Whensown 



yield larger products. 



in rows, in either of the modes already described, the harrows are 



The best soils for bea?is are clays and strong loams ; on such employed about 10 or 12 days after, and being driven across 

 soils they generally succeed wheat or oats, but sometimes also the ridges, the land is laid completely level for the subsequen 



operations, and the annual weeds destroyed. • 



^fter the beans have made some growth, sooner or later, accoroKio 

 as the soil may happen to be incumbered with or free from weeds, 

 the horse-hoe is employed in the intervals between the rows, an 

 followed by the hand-hoe, for the purpose of cutting down sucH 

 weeds as the horse-hoe cannot reach, and the weeds anjong 

 the beans beyond the reach of either hoe should be pulled "p 

 by the hand. The operation maybe repeated as often as te 

 land requires it. Before the introduction of the horse-hoe» » 



clover leys. Turnip soils or sands are by no means proper for 

 them. 



In the preparation of the soil, much depends upon the nature 

 cf the land and the state of the weather ; for as beans must 

 be sown early in spring, it is sometimes impossible to give all 

 the labour which a careful farmer would wish to bestow. It 

 must also be regulated in some measure by the manner of sow- 



ing. 



In all cases it ought to be ploughed with a deep furrow 

 after harvest or early in winter, and as two ploughings in spring 

 are highly advantageous, the winter furrow may be given in the 

 direction of the former ridges, in which way the land is sooner 

 dry in spring than if it had been ploughed across- The second 

 ploughing is to be given across the ridges as early in spring as 

 the ground is sufficiently dry, and the third furrow either forms 

 the drills or receives the seed (Suppl. E. Brit. Art. Agr.). 



Manure is applied if the crop succeeds wheat. By some, 

 dung is spread on the stubble previous to the winter ploughing, 

 but this cannot always be done in a satisfactory manner, unless 

 during frost, when it may lie long exposed to the weather before 

 it can be turned in. The most desirable mode therefore is, to 

 lay the manure into drills immediately before the beans are sown. 

 According to Brown (Treatise on Rural Affairs) the best way 

 is to apply the dung on the stubble before the winter furrow 

 is given, which greatly facilitates the after process. Land 

 dunged to beans, if duly hoed, is always in high order for car- 

 rying? a crop of wheat in succession. 



The climate most favorable to beans is one neither very dry 

 nor very moist ; the first brings on the fly and the last prevents 

 the setting of the blossoms. 



1 



common small plough, drawn by one horse, was used in ^'^^^^ 



the rows, and is still necessary where root-^ 



between 

 abound. 



The plough goes down the intervals, turning 



theo 



earth from the beatis, and forming a ridgelet in the centre, 

 hand-hoes are immediately employed. The same V^^^S V^ 

 an additional mould-board, finally splits open the intermedia 

 ridgelet, and lays up the earth to the beans on each side. 



Before reaping beans the grain ought to be tolerably well ^^ 

 pened, otherwise the quality is impaired, whilst a long ^'"'^^ 

 required to put the straw in such a condition as to be preser ^^ 

 in the stack. In an early harvest, or where the crop i^ n 

 weighty, it is an easv matter to cret beans sufficiently ripen j 



but in a late harvest, and in every one where the crop *^'^^^,]^ 

 a second growth, it is hardly practicable to get them thoroug ) 

 ripened for the sickle. Under these circumstances, it is """^^i ^ 

 sary to let beans stand uncut after the end of September or 

 first of October, because any benefit that can be derived al 

 wards is not to be compared with the disadvantages that f^^^, 

 pany a late wheat-seed time.. Beans are usually cut with 

 sickle and tied in sheaves, either with straw ropes or with r^P 



