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If the benches are unoccupied, the beans may be planted on 

 them directly, but if a crop is on them the beans should be started 

 in pots. We like to plant two or three beans in a 3-inch rose pot, 

 and transplant to the benches just as soon as the roots fill the pot. 



The night temperature of a bean house ought not to fall below 

 6o°. When the blossoms appear, give a liberal application of li- 

 quid manure every five or six days. The growth of beans should 

 be continuous and rapid from the first, in order to secure a large 

 crop of tender pods. The bean is self- fertile, and therefore no 

 pains is necessary to insure pollination, as in the case of tomatoes, 

 and some other in-door crops. The house may be kept moist 

 by sprinkling the walks on bright days. 



The essentials of a forcing bean are compact and rapid growth, 

 earliness, productiveness, and long, straight and symmetrical 

 pods. The Sion House answers these requirements the best of 

 any variety which we have yet tried. The cut shows with exact- 

 ness an average bench of Sion House. English growers recom- 

 mend the Green Flageolet, and we have had good success with 

 it ; but it is about a week later than Sion House, and it possesses 

 no points of superiority. German Wax (Dwarf German Black 

 Wax,) forces well, but the pods are too short and too crooked. It 

 is also particularly liable to the attacks of the pod fungus. New- 

 town {Pride of Newtown,) is too large and straggling in growth. 

 We are experimenting with other varieties, including rx>le beans, 

 but we are not yet ready to report upon them. 



For market the beans are sorted, and tied in bunches of 50 

 pods, as shown in the cut. These bunches bring varying prices, 

 but from 25 to 50 cents may be considered an average. At these 

 figures, with a good demand, forced beans pay well. The 

 enemies are few, red spider being one of the worst, and this is 

 kept in check by maintaining a moist atmosphere. Only three or 

 four pickings of beans can be made profitably from one crop. 

 Much of the success of bean forcing, as of all other winter gar- 

 dening, consists in having new plants ready to take the place of 

 the old ones. As soon as the old plants are removed, fork up the 

 beds, add a liberal quantity of strong, short manure, and replant 

 immediately. 



