124 



The failures of the previous sowing were made good, to their 

 original number, namely 556, but of these a good 15 per cent wa& 

 destroyed, partly by minute larvae, Melolonfltids; introduced into the 

 soil by immature cowdung. partly by night insects which ni]) the 

 stems clean off. 



The croj). as recorded, day by day, iu the Journal, was 

 therefore obtained from about 470 beans of the second generation. 



The pickings, begun on 6th January, 1919 were stopped on. 

 the 31st March and the result to-date (12th April) is as follows: — 

 Xumber of pods picked . . 11174 oz. 



Perfect beans selected for seed 9294 weighing 269^ 

 Imperfect beans but eatable . . 5228 „ 77^ 



Uneatable, diseased, maggotty, etc. . . . . 38^ 



470 plants have therefore given, so far: 



11174 pods containing 14522 beans weighing 347 oz. or 24 

 ])ods and 30 beans for each seed put in the ground. As the crop 

 is only half way through, no final figures can be given at present. 

 Pending the early resumption of plucking, the beds are receiving 

 a light hoeing and a mulch of fallen leaves, and prunings of the 

 dead stems. 



Before passing on to the record of the new crop i.e. that of 

 the third generation now begun, it should be here mentioned that, 

 under local conditions, the Lima bean becomes peremiial, that is^ 

 to say growth is continuous and, on the same plant, may be seen, 

 at the same time, mature and immature pods, and flowers. 



In Burmah, where the Lima bean is cultivated as a field crop, 

 the same perennial habit of tlie plant has been observed by Mr. 

 van Buren (Tro])ical Agriculturist, June, 1918). 



The original bed, sown on 31st July, 1918. which, as pre- 

 viously stated, it was decided to dig up (but which for some reason 

 was not dug up) is still giving crop, and at date of writing, new 

 racemes of flowers are opening (255 days from date of planting). 



At first thought, this continuity of growth would appear ta 

 be an advantage. The writer himself took it to be so, and seeing 

 the bed ]jut forth new flowers, it was manured and, in due course, 

 new crops of beans came on. But it is a question whether it is not 

 the more profitable course, after the main crops have been taken,, 

 to root up the plants, and put the beds to some other cultivation 

 which will get the benefit of the improved soil brought about by 

 the bean cultivation : or again, if the crop is to be l>eans. whether it 

 is not the better course to dig up the old vines, enfeebled by previous 

 crops, and replant with fresh seed. 



In both cases, a thorough tillage of the soil will be neces- 

 sary, with an application of manure, and there will be no saving 

 on that head, while the crops of the new planting will, I believe, 

 be much greater than if the old plants are allowed to "carry on" 

 as perennials. 



There are moreover, other reasons which tend to militate 

 against perennial cultivation of the Lima beau. 



