BEAN. 35 



encourage their growth. In earthing up, great care must 

 be taken that the earth does not fall on the centre of the 

 plant, so as to bury it; for this occasions it to rot or fail. 

 After earthing up, stir between the rows with a three- 

 pronged fork. As the different crops come into full blos- 

 som, pinch or cut oft' the tops, in order to promote their 

 fruiting sooner in a more plentiful production of well-filled 

 pods." Abercrombie. 



Nichol says, " Topping is unnecessary for any but the 

 early crops; being practised to render them more ear- 

 ly." Mr. Armstrong is of opinion, that " of this practice, 

 and of the theory on which it is founded, we may be per- 

 mitted to doubt, because it does not appear to follow that, 

 when the growth of a plant is checked or suspended in one 

 direction, it will not exert itself in another as injuriously to 

 the crop as any increased length of stem would have done. 

 Every day's experience shows, that, if we pollard an apple- 

 tree, we indeed stop its growth upward; but that, instead ot 

 sending its surplus juices to the support and enlargement of 

 the fruit, (as this practice supposes,) it hastens to throw 

 out lateral stems or suckers, which give no fruit whatever. 

 Our creed, therefore, is, that, in the vegetable economy, 

 certain juices go to the production of the stem, and .certain 

 others, more elaborated, and of a different quality, to that of 

 flowers and fruits, and that, whether desirable or not, the 

 art of giving to either a destination different from what na- 

 ture intended, is yet to be discovered." 



Gathering. For table use, gather only such as are ten- 

 der, the seeds decreasing in delicacy after they obtain about 

 half the size which they should possess at maturity. When 

 they become black-eyed, they are tough and strong tasted, 

 and much inferior. 



To save seed. " Either plant some of the approved sorts 

 early in the spring, wholly for that purpose", or leave rows 

 of the different crops ungathered, in preference to the glean- 

 ings of gathered crops. The pods will ripen in August, 

 becoming brown and dry, and the beans dry and hard : 

 then, pulling up the stalks, place them in the sun to harden 

 the seed thoroughly, after which thresh out each sort sepa- 

 rately." Abercrombie. 



Use. Mr. Cobbett says, "In England there are some 

 sorts of this bean used for horses and hogs ; but there are 



