LEGUMINOUS PLANTS. 221 



no support. The stalks of the runners ascend eight or 

 ten feet, and, therefore, either tall sticks are provided 

 around which they may wind, or they are planted near 

 a building or fence from which slender cords are sus- 

 pended, and the flexile stems as they rise clasp and 

 entwine themselves with these. ' It deserves notice, 

 that in their voluble habit of growth the tendrils turn 

 to the right or in a direction contrary to the apparent 

 diurnal course of the sun . this aberration from the 

 common habit of plants has been accounted for by 

 supposing that the native climate of the scarlet runner 

 will be found to lie south of the equator, and that the 

 plant, although removed to the northern hemisphere, is 

 still obedient to the course originally assigned to it, 

 turning in a direction which in its native climate would 

 be towards the sun.' * 



Both species are tender plants, and seldom thrive if 

 they are sown very early in the season ; but in favour- 

 able weather they are prolific bearers, especially the 

 scarlet runner, which for a long continuance yields a 

 plentiful crop from one sowing. 



In England, only the immature pod is used as 

 a legume. The ripe seeds known by the name of 

 haricots are prepared in various ways as a favourite 

 edible in France ; where the dwarf white kidney-bean 

 is extensively cultivated as a field crop, to furnish a 

 supply of their seeds, which are in so constant demand. 

 The seeds of the Dutch runners, which are larger than 

 these, and of a superior quality, are made into a kind 

 of soup, which is held in much esteem in Holland. 

 The leaves likewise of the kidney-bean afford when 

 boiled a culinary vegetable which the Nubians con- 

 sider an excellent esculent. 



Some varieties of the kidney -bean are found in cul- 

 tivation throughout almost every civilized country of 

 the western as well as the eastern hemisphere. The 



* Loud. Encyc. of Gardening, p. 694. 

 VOL. xv. 19* 



