BEANS IN CALIFORNIA. 199 



warm soil, with its verdure always freshened by the 

 breezes of the Pacific, which lies in plain sight of many 

 fields. Thousands of acres are thus disposed green and 

 level as a meadow to the distant viewer the scene un- 

 marred by fence or other obstruction, for the fields are 

 usually subject to no unwelcome intrusion except hot 

 blasts of air which rarely beat back the ocean breeze and 

 harm the plant. In most years without a drop of summer 

 rain and held in heart by the insensible ocean vapor and 

 occasionally by fog and mist, the Lima bean yields the 

 grower an average of a ton to the acre of clear product, 

 and sometimes does more than fifty per cent better than 

 that. 



During recent years the price of Lima beans has 

 been less than formerly, but there still remains a margin, 

 because production can be accomplished at less cost 

 through improved methods and machinery. There is also 

 an association of Lima bean growers which is assisting 

 producers to secure all that the market will warrant and 

 has exerted a wholesome influence. Lima bean straw is a 

 very important by-product, as it sells readily for stock 

 feeding at from $2 to $5 per ton, according to the demand 

 for it in different years. 



The Small White Bean. This is the accepted local name 

 for the variety which is called the Navy bean at the East. 

 The seed was brought from the State of New York as far 

 back as 1852. The Small White has a polished or var- 

 nished surface which prevents rapid absorption of mois- 

 ture. This not only especially fits it for shipping by sea 

 and gives it great keeping quality, but it enables the bean 

 to hold its form through cooking processes. Large quan- 

 tities are shipped to Boston, where they are used in pre- 

 paring "Boston canned beans," which are sold all over 

 the United States. The Small White bean is chiefly grown 

 in Monterey, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties. 



The Pea Bean. This is another small white bean which 

 was introduced into California early in the fifties. The 

 variety has a very thin transparent skin which admits 



