Sowing Beans in Spring and Autumn. 41 



in straight rows from side to side of the field, the rows being 18 

 inches apart. Many persons still dibble beans at a certain sum 

 per bushel. This I consider to be an evil practice, as both en- 

 couraging laziness, theft, and irregular seeding. When a man 

 gets a bushel of beans to plant in a day, if he have any tendency 

 to bad habits about him, he will either sow the seed too thick, 

 throw some of it into a ditch, or steal some to get rid of it. 



Planting by the acre, and allowing a stated quantity, appears 

 to be as near a correct system as can be attained when sowing by 

 hand is necessary. 



Beans have long been chiefly confined to the stifTest description 

 of clay soils, and are now in some cases superseded by root-crops, 

 but we think it will be a very long time before root-crops become 

 general instead of pulse ; and as beans are a substitute for roots, 

 and are regarded as a cleansing crop, it is desirable that it 

 should be so, and that those who cling to drilling and dibbling 

 in narrow crooked rows, and hand-hoeing only, should adopt a 

 more enlightened and economical course. 



To sum up — we would sow beans in autumn rather than in 

 spring, when the labour of the farm would admit of its being pro- 

 perly done before the end of October. Spring beans should be 

 sown in February, or not later than the middle of March. AH 

 kinds of beans should be put into the ground from 2 to 3 inches 

 deep, and always in straight rou's from 16 to 28 inches apart to 

 admit of horse cultivation. Hoeing should take place early, and 

 as frequently as is required to thoroughly clean the land and 

 encourage the growth of the crop. We feel assured that the 

 frequent stirring of the soil has a great tendency to prevent dis- 

 ease, and is a source of ultinmte gain in every case, when done 

 with ordinary discretion. 

 Burcott Lod(je, February, 1857. 



IV. — Observations on the Natural Historg and Economg of vari- 

 ous Insects, Snails, Slugs, ^c, affecting the Clover-crops and 

 Pasture-lands. By John Curtis, F.L.S., &c. 



Paper XVI. 



Having in my former Reports detailed the history and economy 

 of the various insects injurious to turnips, corn-crops, mangel- 

 wurzel, peas, beans, carrots, potatoes, &c., as well as those 

 destroying corn in granaries, it now only remains for me to make 

 known to the agriculturist the legions of insects which ravage his 

 clover and other similar crops, his artificial grasses, and pasture- 

 lands. 



