CHAPTER XI 

 MARKETS AND MARKETING 



So popular are beans as an article of diet it is 

 not surprising that the large area given over to this 

 crop shows some increase from year to year. The 

 surprise, if any, rests in the fact that while beans 

 can be readily grown and matured in all northern 

 latitudes, the annual yield is insufficient for home 

 consumption and large quantities are imported. 

 The domestic crop of beans is 5,000,000 to 7,000,000 

 bushels annually. In this connection it should be 

 emphasized that in treating of the commercial crop 

 movement and market no reference is made to green 

 beans; i. e., the succulent product consumed in its 

 unripe state, immature bean and pod together. 

 Classed under the general head of dry field beans 

 are included pea beans, navy beans, marrow, red 

 kidney, yellow eye, etc. 



The geographical distribution of the bean crop is 

 notable. The bulk of all the beans is grown in three 

 states, Michigan, New York and California, Areas 

 of lesser production, though turning off a good 

 many beans in the aggregate, are found in Maine, 

 Wisconsin, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Iowa, etc, and as 

 far south as Florida. California is a highly impor- 

 tant producer of navy beans, but even in that great 

 state the crop is grown commercially in a compara- 

 tively small area, notably Ventura, Santa Barbara, 

 Sacramento and San Luis Obispo counties, with 

 liberal quantities also produced in other California 



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