The Culture of Vegetables 



greenhouse, or on turf sods in frames for planting out, in precisely the 

 same way that Peas are forwarded for early crops. In all such cases 

 care must be taken that the forcing is of the most moderate character, 

 or the crop will be poor and late, instead of being plentiful and early. 

 When pushed on under glass for planting out, the young stock must 

 have as much light and air as possible consistent with safety, and a 

 slow healthy growth will better answer the purpose than a rapid 

 growth producing long legs and pale leaves, because the physique of 

 infancy determines in a great degree that of maturity, not less in 

 plants than in animals. 



DWARF BEAN 



Phaseolus vulgaris 



AMONGST summer vegetables Kidney Beans are deservedly in high 

 favour, and are everywhere sown at the earliest moment consistent 

 with reasonable expectations of their safety. This early sowing 

 is altogether laudable, for although it occasionally entails the loss of 

 a plantation, the aggregate result is advantageous, and a very little 

 protection suffices to carry the early plant through the late spring 

 frosts. But those who supply our tables with green delicacies do 

 not all recognise the importance of late sowings of Kidney Beans. 

 Here, again, a risk must be incurred, but the cost is trifling, and 

 when the summer is prolonged to October the late-sown Beans are 

 highly prized. Even if they produce plentifully through September 

 there is a great point gained, but that cannot be secured from the 

 earliest sowings ; it is impossible. After July, or at latest the first 

 week in August, it is useless to sow Beans, but where the demand is 

 constant, two or three sowings of both Dwarfs and Runners may be 

 made in the course of the month of July, choosing the most sheltered 

 nooks that can be found for them. For the late sowings the earliest 

 sorts should have preference. 



Kidney Beans for main crops require a good though somewhat 

 light soil ; but any fairly productive loam will answer the purpose, and 

 the crop will yield an ample return for such reasonable digging and 

 dressing as a careful cultivator will not fail to bestow. At the same 

 time it is a matter of some practical importance that the poorest land 

 ever put under tillage will, in an average season, yield serviceable 

 crops of these legumes, and on a rich soil of some depth the Kidney 

 Bean will endure summer drought better than any other crop in the 

 Kitchen Garden. Earliness of production is of the highest import* 



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