74 



IRISH GARDENING. 



Another equally satisfactory variety is that 

 known as the Climbing White Dutch, the seeds 

 of this being as large as some of the Scarlet 

 liunner Beans, and the nearest in size to the 

 Butter Bean of commerce. Sutton's Climbing 

 White Haricot French Bean is a third variety 

 with white seeds deserving of attention. 



Among dwarf Beans with white seeds, 

 Sutton's Dwarf White Haricot and Vilmorin's 

 Haricot de Soissons nami are recommended. 



The cultivation of Haiicot Beans present no 

 problems. With good and deep cultivation 

 identical treatment to that given the Dwarf 

 Kidney and Eunner Beans may follow. Though 

 if hard pressed for pods in the green state to 

 cook, a few of the earliest may be gathered, 

 the usual rule is to allow all the pods produced 

 to mature. When ripe the plants are pulled 

 up and left on the ground a few days to dry 

 in the sun. They are then tied in bunches and 

 hung in a dry airy shed. Picking off the pods 

 l)rovides work for a wet day, followed later by 

 removing the beans from the pods. 



Surrey. A. 0. 



Beans of Sorts. 



Early IVIay and thereafter for a few weeks is 

 a suitable and favourite time for sowing what 

 are popularly known as dwarf. Kidney or 

 French Beans, Climbing French, and Scarlet 

 liunners. Tlie whole comprise a class of vege- 

 tables of the greatest value during late summer 

 and autumn, being nutritious and health pro- 

 ducing, and valuable in the rotation of crops 

 r>wing to their belonging to the family of pod- 

 bearers, the benefit of which, to the soil, has 

 been fully and frequently alluded to in recent 

 issues of this Journal. 



The soil cultivation is pmctically the same 

 for all. A deeply-worked i^ciil is a necessity, 

 and nothing less than two spits should be con- 

 sidei'ed enough. Poor soils will require a 

 liberal supply of dung or other decayed vege- 

 table matter to retain moisture ; but heavy soils, 

 especially if inclined to be wet, will be in- 

 finitely better without too much farmyard 

 manure. All these Beans love warmth both 

 in the soil and air, and too stagnant a condi- 

 tion in the soil is wholly detrimental. A free, 

 ^\•ell-pulverised soil, through which the roots 

 can ramify, and in which they can seek tlie 

 cool lower layers in time of heat and drought 

 is far better than piling in heavy manure near 

 the surface. The manure when applied should 

 be betw^een the top and second spit, that is, 

 a foot or so deep. The top layer of soil must 

 be broken down finely, and w^hen the surface 

 is just dry enough so that the soil will not 



stick to tlie boots it should be lightly trodden 

 over, and tlieu raked level. 



Dwarf, French or Kidney Beans. 



For these tlie rows should be two feet apart, 

 and the drills three inches dfeep. The Beans 

 should be not less than six inches apart, and 

 the soil above them slightly firmed with the 

 foot. There are many varieties of dwarf beans, 

 nearly every seedsman having several kinds 

 associated with his own name. For late sup- 

 plies Canadian Wonder is a recognised stan- 

 dard variety, a strong grower and prolific 

 cropper ; Ne Plus Ultra and Syon House are 

 often sown for an earlier crop, but any reliable 

 seedsman will supply suitable varieties on re- 

 quest. 



Climbing French Beans. 



These give a great return of pods for cook- 

 ing, and are well worth growing where space 

 can be afforded. They grow five to six feet 

 high, and consequently require the rows to be 

 about the same distance apart. If more than 

 one row be grown it would be a convenient 

 arrangement to grow a couple of row's of a 

 dwarf variety between them. The climbing 

 varieties of coiu'se require stakes if grown in 

 the open, or strings attached to a taut wire 

 top and bottom. Where a wall is available 

 they may be trained against it by attaching 

 strings to nails. Sow the seeds six inches 

 apart, and place the strings accordingly. A 

 sunny open position is desirable, but, at the 

 same time, somewhat sheltered, they are, 

 therefore, more suitable for the enclosed private 

 garden than for the allotment, which is fre- 

 quently situated in an open field. 



Runner Beans. 



Here, again, thorough soil preparation as 

 described alcove is essential. The Eunner is a 

 gross feeder and well repays plenty of manure. 

 We' are aware, however, that it is useless 

 recommending heavy applications of manure 

 at the present time, for except in special cases 

 it is practically impossible to obtain manure 

 even for potatoes. Plotholders and others so 

 situated must not be deterred from growing 

 crops on this account, as w^onderful x'esults ac- 

 crue from deep digging and constant surface 

 hoeing all summer even without manure. If 

 any manure at all is available it will be w'ell, 

 for Eunner Beans, to dig the ground first and 

 then open trenches the width of the spade and 

 fifteen inches deep, spreading the available 

 manvn-e in the bottom, and replacing the soil 

 to within four inches of the top. Sow the seeds 



