516 



PRODUCTIVE FAMILY GARDENING. 



blind, and the plant from its peculiarity 

 forming a good fence or hedge to separate 

 any two departments of the garden, it is 

 very prolific, and can hardly be said to 

 leave off growing and bearing until the 

 frost cuts it off. Again, the beans are al- 

 lowed to grow to a size that renders the 

 yield considerable, and the larger they are, 

 the better they eat, until they get old and 

 stringy. The seed should be sown in April, 

 and the following are the different modes 

 of planting them : — three in a patch, at a 

 distance of three feet from patch to patch, 

 or singly in rows a foot apart. In the first, 

 poles or strong branches are driven into the 

 ground at each patch ; in the other they 

 may be trained up bean sticks, placed along 

 the row, or poles may be placed eight or 

 ten feet apart and a line fastened along the 

 tops, from which single lines may be led 

 to each individual bean, or if against a 

 north wall or paling, nails may be driven 

 along the top, from which strings may be 

 fastened in lengths to each plant. When 

 they begin to bear, they should be fre- 

 quently looked over, and all that are large 

 enough, be picked for use, because they 

 grow rapidly, and so long as they will 

 break short in two pieces without being 

 stringy, they are eatable. If a succession 

 is desirable, sow again in May, June and 

 July. Another, and if the ground be limit- 

 ed, a more advantageous v/ay of growing 

 them, is to sow the seed in a patch, in two 

 or three barrows of dung for the sake of 

 slight bottom heat, putting about six inches 

 of mould for them to grow in, and when, 

 about the middle of May, the weather looks 

 settled, plant them out carefully without 

 losing any of the fibres, and place the 

 sticks, or poles, or string to them as soon 

 as they are out. 



HAKICOT BEAN. 



As a winter store, a few rows of the large 

 white kidney or haricot bean may be sown 

 at the end of April, and allowed to go to 

 seed altogether, the entire crop to be used 

 for stewing in winter. They require rich 

 ground, that is to say, soil which has some 

 heart in it ; but after earthing up they re- 

 quire little or no care till they are fit to 

 gather in. [The Tampico, or " Turtle Soup 

 bean," is one of the most valuable of all 

 bush beans, yielding an abundant crop j 



excellent, either as string beans or for soup, 

 Ed. Hort.] 



CELERY. 



Although not always the most economical 

 way of disposing of ground, if celery be 

 grown in the ordinary way, a piece should 

 always be spared for a supply for soups ; 

 celery for this purpose may he sown in a 

 warm border in February, and as soon as 

 it is large enough to prick out. it should be 

 put two or three inches apart, only in a bit 

 of good rich soil, to grow into strength. 

 When it has advanced so as to stand the 

 removal well, it may be planted in the 

 common surface in rows three feet apart,, 

 so that any crop that comes off pretty early 

 may be planted between. As the celery 

 advances in growth, draw the earth up the 

 stems,, and continue this as long as it is in 

 the ground. It will bs found quite as use- 

 ful in soup as if it had been grown in the 

 trenches, and with not a tenth part of the 

 trouble ; and in time it will be large enough 

 to eat as salad. The only thing it requires 

 is constantly earthing up as it advances ; 

 there will be a sufficient quantity blanched 

 to make it eatable, but a few plants for 

 soups are as necessary as onions, and as. 

 wholesome. 



LEEK. 



Perhaps, looking at the utility of this es- 

 culent, boiled, stewed, or in soup, there are 

 few more useful vegetables, and it has the 

 advantage of taking but little room i it may 

 be planted anywhere ; it can be used in aii 

 alternate row with almost anything, and 

 not require more than a six inch extra al- 

 lowance between the rows ; or if they are 

 planted in rows two feet apart, any crop 

 you please may be planted between them,, 

 especially any kind of winter green. Sow 

 the seed in a patch in February. When it 

 comes up, keep it very clear of weeds^ 

 As soon as large enough, prick out six 

 inches apart in a piece of well dressed 

 ground, and when it has acquired good 

 strength, plant nine inches apart in the 

 row, and the rows two feet asunder for a 

 crop between, or one foot asunder if no 

 other crop is to be introduced ; but lettuces, 

 may be planted in the alternate rows, and 

 the alternation of croj>s looks well if nicely 

 managed. It is as well to earth up leeks» 

 as you would celery, that is, sufficient to 



