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THE UNIVERSAL HERBAL; 



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except for food. Propagation and Culture. The following 

 are the best methods of raising Kidney Beans for the table. 

 The three sorts which are usually cultivated for early crops, 

 are the Small White Dwarf, the Dwarf Black, which is called 

 the Negro Bean, and the Liver-coloured Bean. The stalks 

 of these never being very long, may be planted much nearer 

 together than the larger-growing kinds, and they require but 

 little support. They are planted on hot-beds under frames, 

 or in pots which are placed in stoves, to come early in the 

 spring, for which purpose they are better adapted than any 

 of the others ; but they are inferior to several of the others 

 in point of goodness; though, as they may be had at a time 

 when the others cannot be so well obtained, they are gene- 

 rally cultivated in gardens ; and where there are not the con- 

 veniences of stoves or frames for raising them very early, 

 they are planted in warm borders, near hedges, walls, or 

 pales, where they will be fit for use a fortnight earlier than 

 the other sorts. The next to these are the Battersea and 

 Canterbury Kidney Beans, which do not ramble far, and, 

 producing their flowers near the root, bear plentifully for 

 some time ; the Battersea Bean is the forwarder of the two, 

 but the other will continue bearing much longer ; they are 

 both better flavoured than any of the three former sorts, but 

 when they begin to be large, are very stringy and tough. There 

 are two or three sorts of Kidney Beans with erect stalks cul- 

 tivated. These want no support, as they do not put out any 

 twining stalks ; hence they are much cultivated by the gar- 

 deners, as also because they produce a great plenty of pods ; 

 but they are inferior in goodness to all the other, especially 

 that sort with black and white seeds, the pods of which have 

 a rank flavour, and when boiled become soft and meally ; 

 so that it should never be cultivated for the table. The best 

 sorts for culinary purposes are the Scarlet Blossom Bean 

 already noticed, and a white Bean of the same size and 

 shape, which appears to be only a variety of the scarlet, as 

 it differs in no other respect but the colour of the flowers 

 and seeds, being equal in size and flavour. And next to 

 these is the Large Dutch Kidney Bean, which grows as tall 

 as either of these, so must be supported by stakes, other- 

 wise the stalks will trail on the ground and spoil. That with 

 scarlet flowers is of a better quality than this, as well as 

 hardier: and although it will not come up so early as some 

 of the dwarf kinds, yet as it will continue bearing till the 

 frost puts a stop to it in autumn, it is much preferable to 

 either of them ; for the pods of this sort when old are seldom 

 stringy, and have a better flavour than the young pods of 

 those sorts, and will boil greener; and where this is sown in 

 .he same situation and soil as the Battersea Bean, it will not 

 je a fortnight later. All the sorts are propagated by seeds, 

 which are too tender to be sown in the open air before the 

 middle of April ; for if the weather should be cold and wet 

 after they are in the ground, they will soon rot; or if the 

 Tiorning frosts should happen after the plants come up, they 

 rill be destroyed ; therefore the best way to have early Kidney 

 Beans, where there is no conveniency of frames for raising them, 

 is to sow the seeds in rows pretty close upon a moderate hot- 

 bed, the latter end of March or the beginning of April. If the 

 heat of the bed be sufficient to bring up the plants, it will be 

 enough; this bed should be arched over with hoops, that it 

 may be covered with mats every night, or in bad weather. In this 

 bed the plants may stand till they have put out their trifoliate 

 leaves, then they should be carefully taken up, and transplanted 

 in warm borders near hedges, pales, or walls. If the seastm 

 proves dry at the time of removing them, the plants should 

 be gently watered to forward their taking root, and after- 

 wards they must be managed in the same way as those which 



are sown in the full ground. These transplanted Beans will 

 not grow so strong as those which are not removed, nor will 

 they continue so long in bearing, but they will come at least 

 a fortnight 'earlier than those which are in the full ground. 

 The first crop intended for the full ground, should be put in 

 about the middle of April; but these should have a warm 

 situation and a dry soil, otherwise the seeds will rot in the 

 ground ; or if the weather should prove so favourable as to 

 bring up the plants, yet there will be danger of their being 

 killed by morning frosts, which frequently happen in the 

 beginning of May. The second crop, which should be one 

 of the three large sorts last mentioned, should be sown 

 about the middle of May. These will come into bearing be- 

 fore the early kinds are over, and if they be of the scarlet 

 sort, will continue fruitful till the frost destroys the plants in 

 the autumn, and these will be good as long as they last. The, 

 manner of planting them is, to draw shallow furrows with 

 a hoe, at about three feet and a half distance from each 

 other, into which you should drop the seeds about two inches 

 asunder ; then with the head of a rake draw the earth over 

 them, so as to cover them about an inch deep. ' If the season 

 be favourable, the plants will begin to appear in about a 

 week's time after sowing, and soon after will raise their heads 

 upright ; when the stems are advanced above the ground, 

 you should gently draw a little earth to them, observing to 

 do it when the ground is dry, which will preserve them from 

 being injured by sharp winds ; but care must be taken not to 

 draw arty of the earth over their seed-leaves, as it would rot 

 them, or at least greatly retard their growth. After this 

 they will require no farther care, but to stick them when the 

 plants begin to run, and to keep them clear from weeds until 

 they produce fruit, when they should be carefully gathered 

 two or three times a week ; for if permitted to remain upoit 

 the plants a little too long, the plants will be weakened, and 

 the beans spoiled for eating. The large sorts of Kidney 

 Beans must be planted at a greater distance, row from row ; 

 for as these grow very tall, if the rows are not at a greater 

 distance, the sun and air will be excluded from the middle 

 rows ; therefore they should not be less than four feet dis- 

 tance row from row ; and when the plants are about four 

 inches high, the stakes should be thrust into the ground by 

 the side of the plants, to which they will fasten themselves, 

 and climb to the height of eight or ten feet, and bear plenty 

 of fruit from the ground upward. The Dutch and French 

 preserve great quantities of the Large Dutch Beans for win- 

 ter use, which they stew and make good with gravies and 

 sauces. There are some persons who raise these Beans 

 in hot-beds, in order to have them early. The only care to 

 be taken in the management of these plants when thus raised, 

 is to allow them room, and give them as much air as conve- 

 nient when the weather is mild ; as also to let them have a 

 moderate heat ; for if the bed be over-hot they will either 

 burn or be drawn up so weak as seldom to come to good. 

 The manner of making the hot-bed being the same as for 

 raising Cucumbers, (which see,) need not be repeated here ; 

 but observe, when the dung is equally levelled, to lay the 

 earth four or five inches thick, and let the great steam of 

 the bed pass off before you sow the seeds. The time for 

 doing this must be proportioned to the season when you 

 desire to bring your Beans to table ; but the surest time for 

 a crop is about the first week in February. The manner of 

 sowing the seeds of these plants is, to let a few rows of them 

 remain ungathered in the height of the season ; for if you 

 gather from the plants for some time, and afterwards leave 

 the remaining for seed, their pods will not be near so long 

 and handsome, nor will the seed be so good. In autumn, 



