38 On the Comjiarative Advantages of 



might be inferred from their less liability to premature ripening 

 and disease. We have known winter beans to produce 7 quarters 

 per acre, and as little as 32 bushels per acre, all grown on good 

 land in very high condition. Spring beans sometimes reach 

 8 quarters per acre, and some seasons do not exceed as many 

 bushels. 



We have endeavoured to show that winter beans possess 

 some advantages over spring beans on the head of disease, and 

 also that when sowing in autumn takes place the labour of the 

 farm is forwarded, which is of great importance of itself. It so 

 happotis, however, that farms of suitable soil for beans are 

 also suitable for wheat, and that the proper time for ploughing 

 and sowing wheat is also best for beans. Thus, wheat-sowing is 

 attended to first, and when that is finished it is generally too late 

 to sow beans in season, so that, if sown, disappointment follows, 

 and winter beans are condemned without just reason. When 

 winter beans were introduced into this country about thirty years 

 ago, and when partially grown subsequently, tliere was scarcely a 

 failure, owing, we think, to more care being used in sowing at 

 the proper time and under suitable circumstances ; but of late 

 partial failures have been common enough, wliich in a great mea- 

 sure may be attributed to want of proper management. Winter 

 beans are certainly not so much sown now as they Avere a dozen 

 years ago, in those districts with which I am acquainted, for the 

 reasons assigned, and also that where beans hold a constant place 

 in a rotation with wheat, it is seldom that horse-labour can be 

 spared in autumn for ploughing for beans as early as necessary. 

 For spring beans the land can be ploughed any time in winter 

 so as not to interrupt other kinds of work ; and the mere drilling 

 and harrowing bean-land in February or March does not inter- 

 fere with ploughing for and sowing l)arley or oats, neither in the 

 preparation for root-crops. It should always be the aim of every 

 arable farmer to keep a sufficient number of horses to accomplish 

 his work in due season, but not more. In order, therefore, to 

 keep as few as necessary, the labour of the farm should be so dis- 

 tributed over fhe whole year as to provide nearly constant em- 

 ployment, without standing still at one time and at another 

 having too much in hand to do it well. It is, we think, for these 

 and similar reasons that spring beans are so generally sown instead 

 of winter beans. Because, if there is a sufficient strength of 

 horses on a farm to plough and sow both for wheat and beans in 

 autumn in proper season, there would be an expensive surplus 

 during winter, which in all ordinary cases could not be profitahly 

 employed, It is very rarely the case that wheat-sowing can be 

 finished by the middle of October with all the strength of the 

 farm applied to it. It is then a chance only whether the plough- 



