THE CULTURE OF BEANS. 303 



peas, as it is better known as a pea. There are several va- 

 rieties of this plant, but they differ in no material point; and 

 the mode of cultivating and using all of them is the 

 same. A common mode of planting this crop is to drop the 

 seed among the corn at the last working; but it is much 

 more profitable when grown by itself, and treated as well as 

 any other crop. Its culture is the same as that of the com- 

 mon bean, which it resembles in its appearance and man- 

 ner of growth; the pods however being round and not flat, 

 as those of the bean are. 



This crop might be made exceedingly useful to Southern 

 farmers as a fodder or a grain crop; and for plowing under 

 as manure upon the lands exhausted by the culture of to- 

 bacco and cotton. When grown for the latter purpose 

 it should be sown early (a bushel of seed to the acre), 

 and turned under when in full blossom; a second crop 

 being immediately sown and turned under in time for 

 sowing wheat. 



BEANS are grown in some localities very largely and as 

 a special crop. Several kinds are grown; the marrowfat, 

 the pea bean, or navy bean (this is the most valuable in the 

 market); the red kidney, and the black soup bean. The 

 plant matures quickly, and although exceedingly rich in 

 nutritious matter a little more so than peas it is by no 

 means exacting in regard to the fertility of the soil. It be- 

 longs to the leguminous family of plants, all of which pos- 

 sess the ability to get a large quantity of nitrogen from some 

 unknown source, and therefore make a good yield upon 

 land upon which other crops would thrive but. poorly. The 

 crop is grown in drills 18 inches apart, the seed used being 

 about a bushel and a half to the acre. It might be made 

 to take a valuable place in a rotation of 8 or more crops, as 

 the product is quite salable at very profitable prices, and is 

 also a valuable food for horses, sheep, and swine, when 

 ground with corn. The haulm is also exceedingly 

 nutritious and contains lO* per cent, of albuminoids in its 

 dry state. 



