71 



Mr. ]\Ietc'alfe recommends the followiug method of harvesting- the 



bean: 



Take a sharp hoe, chp them at each hill and let them dry for one or two days. 

 Then rake with horse rake and put into small cocks. When dry, haul and stack. If 

 wanted for hay, cut when about half the pods have turned yellow. 



The following letters from Mr. Metcalfe and the testimonials from 

 other experimenters will indicate its value as a forage plant: 



Jaxuary 23, 1898. 

 I send you in this letter 50 IMetcalfe beans. I am satisfied it is our coming forage 

 plant. Few plants here are more relished by stock; even deer climb the cliffs for 

 it. Be sure and plant the bean in rich deep-tilled land, about as you would for 

 watermelons. 



Yours, truly, James K. Metcalfe. 



November 10, 1898. 

 I have only 30 pounds of beans (Phmeolns retasus) . I had bad luck with them. 

 We had 8 inches of hail in June, which cut off every leaf and tender ends of the 

 vines. The \ines had to make a new growth. Those from beans planted on the 

 loth of ]May were a sight to look at. They were simply shingled with bean pods, but 

 the frost killed them all and left the green pods lying on the ground side by side, 

 like myriads of small fishes. If they had only ripened, I believe I would have had 

 over a ton of beans. The 30 pounds which I secured were nearly all from 60 2- 

 year-old vines. If the hail had not hit them, I believe they would have produced 

 nearly 100 pounds of seed. Next year, without hail or frost, I will have several tons. 

 It is a sure producer and an excellent feed. Five or six hundred plants to the acre 

 the second year will mat the ground with vines and beans. Cattle and sheep will 

 quit any kind of feed for it. They even lick up the leaves. Hogs eat it ravenously. 

 It must be a rich food. Some of my vines measured 13i feet long. When we con- 

 sider that so few beans w-ill cover an acre of ground, and make such a yield of fodder 

 and beans, we must believe that it is something wonderful. 

 Yours, truly, 



James K. ^Ietcalfe. 



Mr. J. S. Argobrite, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, Cal. : 



A rich, sandy loam was plowed and harrowed and irrigated 4 times, using as much 

 water as would grow a good crop of melons. The seed was sown May 2 in itjws 

 4 feet apart and 2 feet in the row. The crop was cultivated once w'hen the plants 

 were 1 foot high. It was not harvested, but pastured to stock, as it was impossible to 

 use a machine, owing to its prostrate growth. It was in full bloom July 25, but it did 

 not ripen seed. The estimated yield of vines was about 4 tons per acre. The aver- 

 age growth was about 5 feet long. It is not a true climber, but runs over the ground 

 like a melon, and is of no more value than the ordinary pole bean. Another small 

 plot was sown on sandy soil and not irrigated. To date (November 1) it has made 

 a growth of 1 foot and is still green and growing with many blossoms, but no seed. 



W. Atlee Burpee & Co., Doylestown, Bucks County, Pa.: 



A heavy clay loam was plowed and harrowed. The seed was sown May 3 and 

 planted to poles set 4 by 4 feet apart. A horse cultivator was used. By Sejitember 

 8 the plants had a running growth, with rather thick, smooth, light-green leaves. It 

 is only now starting to run freely and showing flower buds, but no pods have set. 



Mr. B. Fritz, Blue Springs, Gage County, Nebr. : 



The seed was sown on a well-prepared loamy soil May 15, 1899, in rows 8 feet 

 apart with hills 4 to 6 feet apart iu the rows, 1 seed in each hill. It was cultivated 



