LEGUMINOS^E. CLXVIII. FABA. 



313 



productive, and the pods remain green even when ripe and 

 dried. 



Times of solving for early and successive crops. For the ear- 

 liest, crop plant some Mazagans in October, November, or 

 December, in a warm border, under an exposure to the full sun. 

 Set them in rows, 2 or 2^ feet asunder, about 1 \ inch deep, 

 and 2 or 3 inches apart in the rows. The most successful plan 

 for nurturing a crop over the winter, is to sow the beans thickly 

 together in a bed of light earth- under a warm aspect, for the 

 intermediate object of protecting the infant plants the better 

 from rigorous weather, and with the view of transplanting them 

 at the approach of spring or when the size of the plants (2 or 

 3 inches in height) require it, into warm borders, at the distances 

 at which the plants are in fruit. For this object, the size of a 

 garden frame is a convenient width for the bed, which should 

 slope a little to the south ; plant at the deptli of 2 inches, and an 

 inch apart each way. At the approach of frost, protect the young 

 plants with a frame, or matting or other shelter. In February or 

 March, as soon as the mild weather offers, transplant them into 

 a warm south border, placing one row close under a protecting 

 fence, as far as that advantage can be given. Take them from 

 the seed bed with balls of earth, and pull off the old beans. 

 Then plant them at final distances, closing the earth rather high 

 about the stems. Beans are accelerated in their growth by trans- 

 planting. If severe frosts kill the early advanced plants, or if 

 it were omitted to sow an early crop at the general season, a 

 quantity may be sown thick in a moderate hot-bed in January or 

 February, or in large pots placed therein, or in a stove, to raise 

 some plants quickly for transplanting as above. In all cases, as 

 the young plants come up give occasional protection in the 

 severity of winter, and hoe up a little earth to the stems. Plants 

 which can have no other shelter should be covered lightly with 

 the haulm of plants or straw, but such a covering must be care- 

 fully removed as often as the weather turns mild. To succeed the 

 above, plant more of the same sort, or some of the early-li>ng- 

 pod or small-Lisbon in December or January, when mild weather, 

 for larger supplies, in more open exposures. And in order to obtain 

 either, a more full succession, or a first general crop, plant some 

 early and large long-pods and broad-Spanish at the end of January, 

 if open weather, in some warm quarter of mellow ground. Some 

 of the larger Sword long-pod, Sandwich, and Toker-beans may also 

 be planted in fuller crops in February, if the weather permit, both 

 for succession and principal supplies. You may likewise plant 

 any of the preceding kinds, as well as Windsors and other sorts, 

 in full and succession crops in February, March, and April. For 

 the main summer crops adopt principally the Windsors, Sand- 

 wich, Taker, large-long-pod, and broad- Spanish. The Wind- 

 sors rank first in regard to flavour, but prove on common soils 

 not so plentiful a bearer as other late kinds. Plant also full suc- 

 cession crops in March and April, and smaller portions in May 

 and June for late production, especially the long-pod, broad- 

 Spanish, and Taker ; also any of the early sorts, which are 

 more successful in late planting than the larger broad varieties. 

 The white-blossomed bean, though the smallest of the middle- 

 sized sorts is very desirable to plant as secondary crops, both in 

 the general and late planting seasons, from March till June and 

 July, being a great bearer and a tender and sweet eating bean, 

 if gathered young. Any of the other sorts named may also be 

 planted to increase the variety. For sowing in June and July, 

 the smaller and early kinds again become the most proper, as 

 their constitution fits them for standing late as well as early. 

 Thus the regular supplies may be provided for, in succession 

 from June till September. (Abercrombie). 



Quantity of seed. For early crops one pint of seed will be re- 

 quisite for every 80 feet of row ; for late crops nearly the 

 same quantity as for the early. For the main crops the quantity 



VOL. II. 



cultivated, in proportion to that for early or late crops, is gene- 

 rally treble or quadruple, as to the extent of ground ; but a less 

 quantity of seed is requisite for the same space. 



Method of sowing. Plant all the sorts in rows, 2-| feet apart 

 for the smaller, or very early, or very late kinds ; and 3 feet for 

 the larger ; the smaller beans 2 inches deep, and 3 inches distant 

 in the row ; the larger beans 3 inches deep, and 4 inches apart in 

 the row. 



Transplanting. Speedily constantly transplants his early 

 bean crops, and considers this plant may be as easily transplanted 

 as cabbage or any other vegetable. He plants them alternately 

 with potatoes in the same row, the rows 3 feet apart, and the 

 potatoes 18 inches apart in the row. The beans are trans- 

 planted, by which means they have the start and advantage of 

 the potatoes and weeds, and as they come in early may be 

 gathered before they can possibly incommode or injure the po- 

 tatoes. (Speechly's Practical Hints, &c. p. 17.) 



Manual process. The work of sowing is most generally 

 effected by a dibble, having a thick blunt end to make a wide 

 aperture for each bean, to admit it clean to the bottom without any 

 narrow hollow parts below, strike the earth fully and regularly 

 into the holes over the inserted beans. Or the planting may be 

 performed occasionally in drills, drawn with a hoe the proper 

 depth and distance, placing the beans at proper intervals along 

 the bottom of each drill, and earth them over evenly, which 

 method, though suitable to any kinds, may be more particularly 

 adopted in sowing the early and other small sorts. 



Soaking seed in summer. In planting late crops in June and 

 July, if the weather be dry, it is eligible to give the beans a pre- 

 vious soaking for several hours in soft water, or if they are to be 

 sown in drills, water the drills beforehand, then directly put in 

 the beans, and earth them in while the ground remains moist. 



Subsequent culture. As the plants come up, and advance from 

 2 to 4 and 6 inches high, hoe up some earth to the stems on both 

 sides of each row, cutting down all weeds. Repeat the hoeing 

 as future weeds arise, both to keep the ground about the plants 

 clean, and to loosen the earth to encourage their growth. In 

 earthing up, great care must be taken that the earth does not 

 fall on the centre of the plants so as to bury them, for this occasions 

 them to rot or fail. After earthing up, stir between the rows with 

 a three-pronged fork. As the different crops come up into full 

 blossom, pinch or cut off the tops, in order to promote their 

 fruiting sooner in a more plentiful production, or well-filled 

 pods. (Abercrombie). Nicol says, " Topping is unnecessary 

 for any but the early crops." Most gardeners are, however, of 

 opinion, that topping improves the crop both in quantity and 

 quality. To forward an early crop, see Pisum. 



To produce a very late crop. Neill mentions an expedient 

 sometimes resorted to to produce a late crop. A quarter of 

 beans is fixed on, and when the flowers appear, the plants are 

 entirely cut down, a few inches from the surface of the ground. 

 New stems spring from the stools, and these produce a very 

 late crop of beans. 



Gathering, For table use, gather only such as are tender, the 

 seed decreasing in delicacy after they obtain about half their pro- 

 per size. When they become black eyed, they are tough and 

 strong tasted, and much inferior for eating. 



To save seed. Either plant some of the approved sorts in 

 February or March wholly for that purpose, or leave some rows 

 of the different crops ungathered, in preference to the gleanings 

 of gathered crops. The pods will ripen in August, and the 

 beans become dry and hard ; then pulling up the stalks, place 

 them in the sun to harden the seed thoroughly, after which thresh 

 out each sort separately. (Abercrombie). 



Use. The seeds are the only part used in cookery, and are 

 either put in soups, or sent up in dishes apart. 

 Ss 



