301 



The Japanese bean proved the earlier plant; it Howered and 

 fruited two weeks before the local one did. 



In about two and a half months from the time of sowing, the 

 first picking of young hanging pods, when about 5 to 6 inches long, 

 took place. 



At that stage, they are tender, and can l)e eaten as a sub- 

 stitute for French beans, of which, however, they lack the flavour. 



For that purpose, they sliould be sliced diagonally, boiled and 

 then tossed for a few minutes in butter. 



At a later period the pods ])ecome stringy, and later Btill they 

 take a woody consistency, when they are useless. 



The beans themselves are poisonous, unless they have been first 

 divested of tlieir skins, and the separated cotyledons have been 

 heated over the fire previously to Iroiling them. But although the 

 writer has eaten them after sucli treatment, the risk is too great 

 to justify their use as a food, eitlier for man or cattle. 



The poisonous principle in the bean of Canavalia ensiformus is 

 proljal)ly, judging l)y the odour of the freshly opened beans, the 

 same as found l)y W. E. Dunlop (Tropical Agriculturist March 

 1916) in Fhaseolus lunatus, viz: hydrocyanic or prussic arid. 



The sword-bean is, as already stated, a very fast grower, 

 which commands it as a restorative crop, in place of a bare fallow : 

 to that en<l as soon as the first picking of the young pods has 

 taken place, it can be dng into the soil, which it enriches with its 

 stored nitrogen, while the cojmous leafage serves to aerate the soil 

 and increase the supply of hunnus. 



As a cover crop without staking, it has also mucli to recom- 

 mend it, as its broad leaves spread rapidly O'ver the ground and keep 

 down the weeds very effectively. 



If staked as previously described, it serves admirably as a 

 screen for exotic plants which cannot be growm to their best under 

 the sun in the o<}3en. Jicttuces are amongst these. TTnder the 

 strong sun the excessive evaporation ^aps the vigour of the plants 

 — ^the leaves, instead of standing erect, close to the stem, droop 

 aw^ay, while the stem itself bolts upward or trails limply on the 

 ground. Strong rains on the other hand, often destroy the seed- 

 lings, or in the older stage, beat down the leaves and even tear them. 



Under the diffuse light afforded by the foliage of the sword- 

 l>ean (which has to be pruned when too thick) the excessive 

 evaporation is reduced and the impact of the rain is broken. By 

 using the sword-ibean as a screen and rain-breaker, some quite fair 

 samples {i.e. fair for our locality) can l)e grown even at sea-level. 



E. Mathieu. 



Staking Yams. 



The Chinese who grow yams in the Malay Peninsiila do not 

 trouble to stake them. This fails to obtain the best yield and 

 should be remedied. 



