520 FORCING KIDNEY-BEANS AND PEAS. 



six beans, covering them with one inch more of soil. These pots may 

 be stowed away in any corner of the house or pit till the plants appear 

 above ground, when they must be brought near the glass, and thinned 

 out to two or three of the best plants. As they advance, they must 

 be earthed-up. When they come into flower, air must be admitted, to 

 set the fruit ; and every pod must be gathered as soon as it is fit for 

 the table. The plants may be grown in a house at any temperature 

 from 45 to 75 ; from 60 to 65 being preferable. They succeed 

 well when planted out in a pit or frame, with a bottom heat, in rows 

 eighteen inches apart, and three inches apart in the row ; and, as they 

 advance, they may be topped and sticked. Planted at Christmas, they 

 require about eight w r eeks to bear fruit fit for the table, in a tempe- 

 rature of 60 or 65. To have kidney-beans all the year, the first 

 sowing for forcing should be made in August, and sowings should be 

 made every fortnight till April, after which the crop in the open air 

 from plants which have been raised in heat will come into use. Forced 

 kidney-beans will continue bearing for a considerable time ; but it is best 

 only to keep them for two or, at the most, three gatherings, and then 

 throw them out, as more fruit of higher quality can thus be gathered 

 from a given space, and insects are less troublesome on young plants. 

 The aphis and thrips often attack the French bean when grown under 

 glass, but these insects may be readily destroyed by fumigation, by 

 tobacco-water, or by quassia-water. 



The common garden pea (Pisum sativum, L.), may be forced, but 

 being a native of a colder climate (the South of Europe), not so 

 successfully as the kidney-bean. The best varieties for this purpose 

 are such classes as Beck's Gem, Tom Thumb, &c., First Crop, and 

 Early Frame. It is necessary to begin at a low temperature, and not 

 to exceed 50 or 60 with sun-heat, and from 40 to 50 during the 

 night, till the fruit is set. Afterwards the temperature may be 

 increased, so as to vary during the day from 55 to 70. The peas 

 may be sown in pots or boxes, and either fruited in them, or trans- 

 planted into other pots or boxes, or a pit. In general the best mode 

 is to grow them in pots or boxes, because these admit of being kept 

 well ventilated and close to the glass. Without abundance of light 

 and air it is in vain to attempt forcing the pea. For the earliest crop 

 the seeds may be sown in October, and these will produce pods in 

 February or March, from which time by successive sowings, peas may 

 be obtained till they are produced in the open ground from plants 

 which have been raised in heat, and transplanted into a warm 

 sheltered situation. Whatever description of forcing is adopted, 

 transplanting is found to check luxuriance, concentrate growth, and 

 produce a greater amount of blossom in a limited space. The front 

 borders of orchard-houses have been found admirably adapted for 

 early peas, and such varieties as Carter's First Crop sown in them in 

 November may be gathered in April. 



