THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



167 



given until the plants are up, rolling at that stage being in- 

 tended to prevent the beana running too much to straw be- 

 fore blossoming. 



The after-culture consists in repeated horse-hoeing, or 

 grubbing, and hand-hoeing the ground, until the plants 

 have become so far advanced that the horses cannot travel 

 among them without doing injury. Those beans which are 

 grown in raised drills must have the earth laid up to them 

 by the double mould-board plough, when the spaces be- 

 tween have been sufliciently grubbecl, &c. The effect of 

 this mode of culture is not only to keep down the growth of 

 weeds.but also, by the stirring of the soil, to bring beans 

 under the class of fallow crops, which is not the case when 

 the seed is either sown broadcast or diilled at such narrow 

 intervals that horse-hoeing can only be carried on to a 

 limited extent. 



The composition of the bean plant— grain and straw- 

 point out the class of manures most serviceable in promot- 

 ing its growth. Thus we find that lime, magnesia, potash, 

 and soda, together with phosphoric and sulphuric acids, 

 form the principal constituents of the grain and straw of 

 beans. Phosphatic manures, therefore, such as the phospho- 

 Peruvian guano, and super-phosphates, sulphate of soda 

 (Glauber's salts), the nitrates of potash and soda, sulphate 

 of lime (gypsum), and common salt, are appropriate light 

 manures for the bean crop. These manures may be mixed 

 together or applied separately. The application of the 

 sulphates and nitrates above mentioned seems, from the re- 

 sults of reported experiment*, to act more in promoting the 

 growth and filling of the pods than by increasing the bulk 

 of the straw. The best time for applying the majority of 

 these manures is when the plants are above the ground ; 

 and the manures will be thoroughly incorporated with the 

 soil by means of the various horse and hand-hoeings. 

 When the seed has been sown broadcast, damp weather 

 must be selected for the application of tho manures, as no 

 artificial assistance can be rendered ia working them into 

 the soil in this case. Gypsum, however, may be sown 

 broadcast over the seed in the drills before the latter are 

 split and closed, as gypsum does not act so quickly as the 

 other fertilizers. Lime, it must be observed, ia a manure 

 of great importance in bean culture, not only on its own 

 account, as a constituent of the plant, but also from its 

 effects in bringing other fertilizing substances into action 

 which already exist in the soil. Lime will probably be ap- 

 plied at some period or other in the rotation, when beans 

 are properly cultivated ; but if applied directly to the bean 

 crop, it may be scattered over the land, and harrowed in 

 after the beans are sown ; or it may be applied previous to 

 ploughing the winter furrow, preparatory to sowing beans. 

 When manure is spread on the stubble, and ploughed down, 

 the first of these modes — spreading after the seed is sown— 

 will be the most advisable. 



The principal enemy which bean growers have to fear is 

 a species of apJiis, the bean-plant louse, or, as it is some- 

 times designated, the " Black Dolphin" or " Collier ;" and 

 in some seasons the ravages of this pest are very extensive. 

 The aphis makes its appearance soon'after the plants come 

 in flower, when they commence on the tops, and from thence 

 rapidly spread over the plant, destroying the leaves, in con- 

 sequence of which the progress of the beans in the pods is 

 arrested, and the crops prove a miserable failure. Early 

 sowing ia of advantage in securing the plants from the at- 

 tacks of this insect; hence the comparative immunity 

 which the winter bean enjoys in this respect. The state of 

 the plants should be carefully watched at the season when 



the aphis usually appears; and the only step which the 

 grower can take, should such bo the case, is to cut off the 

 succulent tops, and remove them entirely from the field, 

 covering them with hot lime or burning them. This is a 

 better plan than merely cutting off the tops, and allowing 

 them to lie on the ground. But the removal of the succu- 

 lent tops of the bean plants has at all times a special recom- 

 mendation, inasmuch as it causes the pods to fill better, 

 more quickly, and more evenly than they would do if the 

 tops were allowed to remain.— Jris/( Farmers'' Gazette. 



THE SPLASHING OF THE CHURN. 



In the dairy, cool and airy, 



Stands the farmer's daughter chiuning, 

 Her cheeks are all aglow, 



With health, from labour, burning ; 

 Her ruddy arms are bare. 

 In a snood her flaxen hair, 

 'Round her brimming pans of milk, 

 And her gown — 'tis not of silk — 

 Is tucked beneath her apron. 



Clean and snowy white ; 

 And while the staff is dashing 

 Up and down, incessant splashing, 

 la unison with hand and foot 



She sings with spirit light. 



" Come, Sally ! take a turn 

 At the old wooden churn. 

 And quit your novel reading. 



Nor think yourself a queen ; 

 You're more like silly Nancy, 

 Who lived on airy fancy. 

 And died in single wretchedness, 



In poverty I ween. 



" Here, Mary, in the dairy 



Is your proper place, my bonny lass. 

 An hour and more you've stood before 



That flatterer false, the looking glass ; 

 So come; take a turn at the big wooden churn, 

 'Twill lend your face a glow and grace 



That paint cannot impart ; 

 And while the staff is dashing 

 Up and down incessant splashing, 

 'Twill set your eyes a-flashing, 



Till every look's a dart, 

 You'll lose that sobbing, sighing, 

 That pallid look and dying, 

 'Twill send the ruddy current 



Beating time from out your heart. 



" Come, hasten, sister Anna; 

 Stop a-pounding that piano ; 

 Poor broken-hearted instrument, 



'Tis ever out of tune ; 

 So cease your useless jiggin. 

 And bring the can and piggin. 

 To hold the luscious buttermilk 



That will be ready soon ; 

 And keep the staff a-dashing,^ 

 Up and down incessant splashing; 

 Brother is a thrashing. 



And father's with the ploughs. 



"Mother supper's getting, 

 And Kate's the table setting, 

 So let us get the churning done 



Ere milking of the cows. 

 And we'll take a turn 

 At the big wooden churn ; 

 Tho' 'tis an ancient instrument, 



'Tis never out of tune ; 

 And sing while we're dashing, 

 Plash, plash, plash, plashing, 

 A lively lay, and bang away. 



We'll bring the butter soon." 

 'New York TaUei. 



