FARMER'S ASSISTANT. 17 



BEAN (Yicid.) There are a great variety of beans; 

 some of which are best adapted for field- husbandry, and 

 others for culinary purposes. For the former, the English 

 or Windsor bean is the best for strong clays and other rich 

 soils, and the little white bean, for those 'which are light and 

 dry. They are each cultivated in the drill method, and 

 ploughed and hoed like other hoed crops. 



The English bean is to be sowed early, as a little frost 

 will not hurt it. When they have grown to the height of 

 about three feet, and incline to become too tall, the tops 

 should be broken off. Alter gathering the first crop, the 

 stalks are to be cut off close to the ground, and a growth 

 of suckers will rise and afford another green crop late in 

 the Fall. 



The little white bean is to be pulled before the Fall 

 frosts, and to lie on the ground to dry and ripen. The 

 haulm of beans should be saved for Winter-food for Sheep, 

 as they are very fond of it. 



For culinary purposes, the Canada bean, which is a bush- 

 bean, ripens soonest, and is therefore to be prefered for an 

 early supply : The pods, however, become unfit for eating 

 when the bean has attained its size. Of those which have 

 vines, the caseknife bean, the cranberry, and the thousand 

 for one, so called, are very good. The short bean, as it is 

 called, is also much esteemed, on account of the pod being 

 good to eat when the bean is full grown. Mr. Dean says, 

 the best manure for t^eans which have vines is hog's dung 

 with a mixture of ashes. 



When beans are cultivated in a climate that is not natu- 

 ral to them, they degenerate; and, therefore, fresh supplies 

 of seed should be obtained from that country to which they 

 are best adapted. 



As the culture of the bean is not likely ever to become 

 a part of field-husbandry,^in this Country, we omit going to 

 any length on this article. Their culture here seems to be 

 naturally superseded by that of Indian corn. 



BEER. To make Sfirucebeer. Boil some spruce boughs 

 with some wheat-bran till the water tastes sufficiently oi the 

 spruce; strain the water, and stir in at the rate of two 

 quarts of molasses to a half-barrel; work it with the empty- 

 ings of beer, or with yeast if you have it. After working 

 sufficiently, bung up the cask, or, which is better, bottle its 

 contents. 



To make Molassesbeer. Take five pounds of molasses, 

 half a pint of yeast, and a spoonful of powdered ginger; put 

 these into a vessel, and pour on two gallons of scalding hot 

 stft water; shake the whole till a fermentation is produced. 



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