THE VEGETABLE GARDEN 261 



weather is satisfactory. If, however, the vines have some green 

 leaves upon them and the pods are not thoroughly dry, the period for 

 curing in the field is of necessity much longer than with thoroughly 

 ripened plants. 



Storage. After the crop has been properly cured in the field it is 

 customary to store the beans in barn lofts or in sheds until the 

 weather has become quite cool before the work of thrashing is done. 

 In some instances, however, if the beans are thoroughly field cured 

 they may be thrashed in the field; but ordinarily, in those regions 

 where beans are extensively grown, weather conditions will not per- 

 mit of their being cured and left in the field a sufficient period to 

 enable the entire work of harvesting and thrashing to be carried on 

 in the open. 



Care Necessary. All operations connected with the harvesting 

 and field management of beans should be done as carefully as possi- 

 ble, in order to avoid injury to the plants while in the growing con- 

 dition and to prevent shelling the beans after they have ripened. 

 Most varieties of beans shell more or less easily after the pods have 

 become thoroughly matured. Most extensive growers of beans con- 

 sider the loss by shelling resulting from the use of labor-saving 

 machinery of less money value than the added cost of carrying on all 

 operations by hand in the most careful way. In other words, the 

 loss from the use of labor-saving machinery is not sufficient to justify 

 the return to hand labor in the care and management of the crop. 



Threshing. Beans are now threshed by a special machine or 

 beaner which has been instrumental in materially increasing the 

 acreage of beans grown. These machines are usually introduced into 

 localities where beans are grown commercially and offered for hire 

 on a plan similar to that used by grain threshers. 



Cleaning and Grading. While the farm operations in connec- 

 tion with the preparation of field beans for market usually cease with 

 the thrashing of the crop, the cleaning and grading of the product is 

 a very important item and requires much hand work. Besides the 

 removal of sticks and straws from the grain by the use of the fan, the 

 beans are passed through a machine which is provided with a broad, 

 slow-moving belt placed at such an angle that split beans and peas, 

 dirt, and stones which are not removed b~y the fan adhere to the belt 

 and are thrown out, while the smooth, perfect seeds fall back into 

 another receptacle and are thus separated from the dirt and broken 

 seeds. After this the beans are usually subjected to a third operation, 

 which consists in removing by hand all broken and discolored seeds, 

 as well as foreign matter, which were not removed in the other 

 operations. 



Garden Beans. The type as well as the variety of garden bean 

 to be grown is determined by the purpose for which it is to be used. 

 If it is to be used as a snap or string bean for early market, quick- 

 maturing green or wax-podded varieties are selected. If for canning 

 purposes, a different variety is selected, which may have either green 

 or wax pods, while as a rule green beans which are required late 



