159 



year in which the beans are planted, it should be such as will be- 

 come available very quickly and therefore tend to hasten the 

 maturity of the crop. We prefer, therefore, to use one of the con- 

 centrated fertilizers, especially those that are rich in potash and 

 phosphoric acid, and avoid those which contain very much nitrogen. 

 If nitrogenous fertilizers are used at all, they should be applied in 

 comparatively small amount and be of such kind that they will give 

 up their fertility early in the season. If ordinary stable manure is 

 used, it should' be applied in the fall in order that it may become 

 thoroughly incorporated with the soil and be ready for use at the 

 earliest moment in the spring." 



The seed is planted in the spring as soon as all danger of frost 

 is past. Subsequent plantings at intervals of three weeks may be 

 made if a continuous supply of " snaps " is desired. The depth of 

 planting varies from one to three inches according to the kind 

 of soil — the lighter the soil the deeper they may be planted. The 

 dwarfs are usually planted, either with a drill or by hand, in rows 

 two to two-and-a-half feet apart and about eight inches in the row, 

 depending upon the variety. The climbers are planted in hills of 

 four or five seeds each, three to four feet apart each way. Each 

 hill is supplied with a pole eight to ten feet in length. With the 

 larger growing varieties not more than two plants to a hill are 

 allowed to grow, but as a rule three or four plants constitute a 

 hill. 



The earlier dwarf varieties will produce edible pods in about 

 six weeks, while the earlier pole varieties require about eight or 

 nine weeks. If the edible pods are gathered as they develop, the 

 plants will remain green and productive for several weeks. 



Insect Enemies. 



JVecvil. — The most formidable insect enemy of the bean in 

 America is the bean weevil {Bnichiis obtcctus). It made its first 

 appearance in New York State about 1862 and has since become very 

 abundant and troublesome. It is a grayish-black beetle, somewhat 

 variable in size, but seldom exceeding one-eighth of an inch in length. 

 The minute eggs are deposited on the green pods in the field, and as 

 soon as hatched the young larva burrows through the pod and 

 enters one of the beans. Within tlie developing seed it feeds and 

 grows apace, and when matured it transforms to a pupa. In this 

 stage it remains for about a week or two when the adult insect 

 emerges. By this time the crop will be harvested and the female 



