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THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



less straw, and suits a lighter description of soil than the 

 other. The seeds are plumper, but at the same time smaller 

 than those of the Scotch bean. The Heligoland is another 

 comparatively short-strawed variety, is early and hardy, and 

 succeeds well on rich soils. The beans are of a chocolate 

 colour, "pods small, straight, cylindrically shaped, and 

 very numerous, as many as 50 being occasionally found on a 

 single plant ; beans 3 or 4 in each pod, well filled, of a 

 roundish or slightly oblong shape, and very small, forming 

 a superior and heavy sample" (Lawson). The weight per 

 bushel varies from 64 to 69 lbs. The winter, or, as it has 

 been called, the Russian bean, is a hardy and productive 

 variety, and is less liable than any other kind to suffer from 

 attacks of the black bean aphis. It is sown in October, and 

 is usually ready to be reaped early in August. It weighs 

 heavily, a bushel of winter beans ranging from 65 to 70 lbs. 

 The straw is of medium length, seeds about the same size as 

 the tick bean, and its general colour resembles that of the 

 tick and Scotch varieties. It tillers freely, and less seed is 

 necessary, therefore, than of any other variety. About two 

 bushels will be sufficient seed for a statute acre, provided 

 the land is in good condition ; but it must be observed that 

 winter beans need not be sown on wet, undrained land with 

 any reasonable hope of success. The purple bean derives its 

 name from the peculiar colour which the beans assume on 

 becoming ripe. It is prolific ; the seeds resemble in form 

 those of the tick bean; but it is not much cultivated. The 

 Annfield bean is rather productive, but requires a superior, 

 early soil. The seeds are larger than the other varieties of 

 field beans. The pigeon bean, on the other hand, is the 

 smallest seeded of all the beans ; but it is prolific and early. 

 A lighter class than the generality of bean soils suits its 

 growth; but it is not much cultivated in Britain. The 

 Mazagan and long-pod or hang-down varieties, although 

 usually considered as belooging to those chiefly suitable for 

 garden culture, are occasionally grown in the field, and we 

 have seen some very good crops of the latter when the land 

 was in good condition. 



With the exception of the winter variety, to which we 

 have already alluded, the proper time for sowing beans is in 

 February, if possible, and certainly as early in March as the 

 state of the weather will permit. 



Beans are occasionally sown after one year's clover lea, 

 and we know that some growers are well satisfied with the 

 results of this system ; but the usual place in the rotation is 

 after a corn crop. In this case it is advisable, if the wea- 

 ther is favourable, to scarify or light plough the land during 

 autumn, afterwards harrowing it, and picking off all loose 

 weeds. This will be of great service in the after-culture of 

 the crop, by keeping the land in a cleaner state than it would 

 otherwise be, because, owing to the early period of the year 

 when beans are sown, and the often uncertain state of the 

 weather, it is not usually possible to do much towards clean- 

 ing at sowing time. The land being scarified, &c., dung 

 may be carted out and spread over the field at the rate of 

 twelve to fifteen tons per statute acre, and then ploughed 

 down with a strong furrow. When the land is well 

 drained and moderately level, this furrow is sometimes 

 given across the usual line of ridges. Previous to sowing, 

 the land is harrowed, and if necessary grubbed, so as to 

 break down the surface, and then drilled, the drills being 

 27 inches apart, in order to allow the after culture, by horse- 

 boeing, to be properly carried on. Four bushels of seed per 

 statute acre are drilled by a machine constructed for the 

 purpose, the drills being afterv/ards closed by the plough. 

 When autumn cleaning cannot be effected the dung is 



spread on the stubble and ploughed down ; and it is of im- 

 portance that the winter ploughing is got over as early as 

 possible, so as to expose the soil to the action of the weather. 

 Some leave the dunging of the been crop until the time 

 when the seed is sown, when the dung is put into the drills, 

 the seed being sometimes drilled under the dung, that is, 

 previous to the latter being spread in the drills ; and at 

 other times above the dung, both dung and seed being 

 covered by the plough splitting the drills. When it possibly 

 can be done, we consider dunging previous to the winter 

 ploughing the most advisable system, because by this means 

 the work is got out of hand, thereby occasioning less labour 

 at a busy season, when it ia of consequence to take advan- 

 tage of every dry hour, and, besides, it is easier to dung on 

 the stubble than on the ploughed land, and there is less da. 

 mage done by carting on the land during autumn than at a 

 time when it is not, perhaps, in a very dry state, At the 

 same time, it is not advisable to work the land and sow the 

 seed when the former is wet. 



Beans are sometimes sown without forming drills specially 

 for the purpose of receiving the seed. This is done in the 

 following manner : The winter furrow ia harrowed down, 

 and three ploughs are set to work to plough the field in the 

 ordinary manner ; the seed is sown in each third furrow, ao 

 that the plants come up in rows about 27 inches apart. The 

 broadcast mode is also occasionally adopted, the seed being 

 merely harrowed in ; but as broadcast sowing does not ad. 

 mit of any after-culture, we do not think it generally ad- 

 visable. It may do on clean land in good condition ; but as 

 a general rule the drill system is the best. Broadcast sow- 

 ing also requires more seed than drill sowing. Dibbling is 

 also practised, especially in some parts of England, the 

 holes being made 2| or 3 inches deep, and from 3 inches 

 to 5 inches apart, according as they are dibbled in each al- 

 ternate furrow, or in every furrow. The seed is also dibbled 

 in double rows 6 or 8 inches apart, a space of 24 to 27 inches 

 being left between each double row. Ia all cases of dibbling, 

 the seed is covered by a light turn of the harrow. Beans 

 are sometimes grown in Ireland in beds, the seed being 

 covered by shovelling the intervening furrows, the earth 

 obtained in this manner being cast right and left over the 

 adjacent beds. The crops grown by this mode are never so 

 equal as those which are grown in drills, and the bed sys- 

 tem does not admit of that semi-fallowing which is of so 

 much importance, both to the beans and the crop of wheat 

 which follows. The bed-system, in any case, is only a 

 make-shift to compensate for want of drainage and for bad 

 ploughing ; the deepened intervening furrows acting to 

 some extent in place of the former, whilst the earth ob- 

 tained by sinking those furrows supplies the want of cover 

 for the seed consequent on defective tillage. 



Peas are sometimes sown along with beans, the object of 

 this being to secure a supply of peas-straw, with which to 

 bind the sheaves of beans. The proportion of peas may be 

 a fifth of the entire quantity of seed, when sheaf bands 

 merely are the object, and the peas are easily riddled out 

 from among the beans. 



In a fortnight or three weeks after the beans have been 

 sown, a favourable opportunity must be taken to harrow the 

 land ; and in the case of raised drills this will be best 

 effected by the curved drill-harrow, a pair of which is 

 drawn by one horse. The plants come up more regularly 

 than they would otherwise do in consequence of this har- 

 rowing, and it helps to prepare the way for the after-cuU 

 ture. The roller is also run over the land before the plants 

 appear, and in some parts of England the rolling is not 



