224 THE FORAGE AND FIBER CROPS IN AMERICA 



clover. In these rotations, the pea and medium beans have the 

 advantage, since they mature earlier than the larger sorts, 

 and thus permit the thorough preparation of the soil for wheat. 

 Fall or early spring plowing and thorough fitting of the soil 

 is desirable for this crop. Since the crop is a late sown one, the 

 tendency is to delay the plowing, much to the detriment of the 

 crop. 



267. Planting. In general, kidney beans should be planted 

 in the latter half of May; medium and pea beans from June 

 5 to 20, and marrows in between. There is danger of too early 

 planting. Beans are a tender plant. They are killed by light 

 frost, and the seeds are likely to rot in the ground, if it is wet 

 and cold. When they start under unfavorable conditions, the 

 strongest and best plants germinate first, producing an unequal 

 growth, and causing an unequal ripening. Field beans are usu- 

 ally planted in drills. The pea and medium type are planted 

 with the ordinary grain drill, stopping the tubes that are not 

 needed; thus, with a drill having hoes seven inches apart, the 

 rows may be 28 to 35 inches apart. Special bean planters are 

 used for kidney beans. The number of seeds per pound varies 

 with the types about as follows: kidney, 780; marrow, 1,000; 

 medium, 1,400; pea, 2,200. The amount of seed used varies 

 from two to three pecks with pea beans to five or six pecks with 

 kidney beans. Great care should be exercised to secure seed 

 free from anthracnose, and not infested with bean weevil. 

 (270, 271) 



268. Culture. The cultivation is similar to that given to 

 maize ; but more care is required, since the young plants are ten- 

 der and easily broken. In order to keep weeds from starting, 

 especially in the row, the land should be harrowed one or more 

 times before the beans come up. After the plants have dropped 

 their beans (cotyledons) they should be cultivated, running as 

 c'/ose to the row as possible, covering the weeds in the row; if 



