156 AGRICULTURAL TEXT-BOOK. 



the plants are then lightly stacked on the ground, rails or blocks 

 of wood having been laid for the purpose. The stacks should 

 not be so large that the sun-shine and wind cannot enter. 

 When entirely dry, they should be hauled, and immediately 

 thrashed by flail, otherwise the pods will again absorb the mois 

 ture, and heat. The beans should be spread for a few days on 

 the barn floor and occasionally turned until they are perfectly 

 dry ; as even, after thrashing, if thrown into too large a heap, 

 they will be apt to mould. 



373. The following is an account of the expense of raising a 

 crop of one acre as above, in Jefferson county, v . Y., in 1851. 

 The kind used was the &quot; small early Vermont Bean.&quot; 



Plowing, harrowing and working, - $1 75 



Planting by hand, 75 



First hoeing, - - - 1 13 



Second hoeing, ... 3.09 



Pulling and stacking, - - 2.40 



Drawing, thrashing, cleaning, and measuring, - 1.75 



One bushel of beans for seed, - 1.00 



Board, - - 250 



Interest on land, - - - 3 50 



$17.87 



VALUE OF CROP. 



34 2-32 bushels beans at $1.00, 34 06 



One ton of straw, &amp;lt;fcc., - - - 5 00 



$3906 

 Deduct expences, ... 17.87 



Net proceeds per acre, - - $21.19 



374. The crop varies from 15 to 40 bushels. As high as 60 

 bushels is said to have been raised to the acre in New York. 

 Of late years, the supply has rarely proved commensurate with 

 the demand. 



375. The straw is eaten by horned cattle and sheep. For 

 the last it is, in common with pease and pea straw, particularly 



