ASPARAGUS 89 



air crops. As a preventive, the attacked shoots are 

 detached and burnt ; and in the autumn when the 

 stems have been cut down, but before removing the 

 soil from the crowns, the beds are watered with a 

 copper sulphate solution about I Ib. of sulphate 

 of copper being used to 100 pints of water. 



DWARF, FRENCH OR HARICOT BEANS 



Although Haricot Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) are 

 not now grown so extensively, as a forced crop, by 

 gardeners near Paris as they were formerly, it may 

 be worth while describing the process. Being so easily 

 grown in the open air during the summer months, it 

 is obvious that unless a commercial gardener can 

 produce his crops early in the year long before the 

 open-air ones, he stands no chance whatever of being 

 remunerated for his labour. 



Although there are now many varieties of Dwarf 

 Beans, those suitable for early or forced crops are 

 somewhat restricted. Amongst the best for the 

 purpose are : Early Dwarf Frame Haricot (flageolet 

 nain triomphe des chassis), which grows 6 to 7 in. 

 high, is very early, and has green seeds. As it is 

 rather fastidious, care must be taken not to keep 

 the seeds too moist when germinating. The Early 

 Black Belgian Haricot (H. noir hdtif de Belgique) is 

 a black-seeded variety, next in earliness to the first 

 named, and a much stronger grower requiring more 

 space. The Early Chalandray (H. tres-hdtif de 

 Chalandray) has yellow seeds ; the Early Dwarf 

 Etampes (H. flageolet tres-hdtif d'Etampes), a strong 

 grower, with white seeds ; and H. flageolet d feuilles 



