CHAPTER VIII 

 CULTURAL METHODS 



Early plowing. — Two vital points in the success or 

 failure of the bean crop are the preparation of the 

 seed bed and the planting of the seed at the proper 

 time. It is safe to say there is no single thing respon- 

 sible for more partial failures in bean growing than 

 the late and hasty preparaton of the land. The rush 

 of spring work in getting in oats, corn, potatoes, etc., 

 too often delays the plowing of bean ground untd 

 the very last of May or often early in June. The best 

 results cannot be obtained unless the bean ground is 

 plowed early. In New England the first week in 

 April is none too soon. Then the soil should be 

 stirred with the cultivator or dragged every week 

 until time for planting. This early preparation serves 

 a double purpose. It kills hundreds of germinating 

 weed seed, thus greatly lessening the amount of cul- 

 tivation afterwards required and what is still more 

 important, it conserves the soil moisture. The repeated 

 stirrings store up moisture for the use of the plant 

 later in the season when the crop is greatly in need of 

 it. Extra time in the early preparation of the soil will 

 be justified in the greatly increased yield at harvest. 

 A gain will be especially marked in case of a drouth 

 to which many sections are subject. On this point 

 Professor Stone of New York, says* : "More fre- 

 quently than otherwise the crop suffers from lack 

 of moisture at some time during the season, and the 

 early plowing and early feeding is the best means of 



•Cornell University, Bui 210. 



71 



