IN EXTRA-TROPICAL COUNTRIES. 225 



inosit-sugar. Lentils contain more legumin but less starch, 

 while Peas and Beans are in respect to the proportion of these 

 two nourishing substances almost alike. The Kidney Bean 

 can still be cultivated in cold latitudes and at Sub-Alpine ele- 

 vations, if the uninterrupted summer warmth lasts for four 

 months ; otherwise it is more tender than the Pea. The soil 

 should for field culture be friable and somewhat limy and not 

 sandy. Phaseolus nanus, L. (the Dwarf -Bean), and P. tumidus, 

 Savi (the Sugar-Bean, or Sword-Bean, or Egg-Bean), are 

 varieties of P. vulgaris. Several other species of Phaseolus 

 seem worthy of culinary culture. Haricot Beans contain very 

 decided deobstruent properties, which, however, are generally 

 destroyed by too much boiling. To obviate this they should 

 be soaked for 24 hours in cold water to which salt has been 

 added, and then gently boiled for not more than 30 or 40 

 minutes in very little water (Treas. Bot.) . 



Phleum pratense Linne. 



The Catstail or Timothy Grass. Europe, North Africa, North 

 and Middle Asia. One of the most valuable of all perennial 

 fodder grasses. Its production of early spring herbage is 

 superior to that of the Cock's-foot Grass. It should enter 

 largely into any mixture of grasses for permanent pasturage. 

 It will live also on moist and cold clay ground. This grass, 

 and perhaps yet more the allied Phleum Alpinum, L., are 

 deserving of an extensive transfer to moory mountain regions. 

 For hay it requires mowing in a young stage. The seed is 

 copiously yielded and well retained. The greatest advantage 

 from this grass arises, according to Langethal, when it is 

 grown along with clovers. It thrives even better on sandy 

 meadows than on calcareous soil ; it will prosper on poorer 

 ground than Alopecurus pratensis ; the latter furnishes its full 

 yield only in the fourth year, whereas the Phleum does so in 

 the second. The Timothy dries more quickly for hay and the 

 seeds are gathered more easily, but it vegetates later, is of 

 harder consistence, and yields less in the season after the first 

 cut. 



Phoenix dactylifera, Linne.* 



The Date Palm. North Africa, also inland ; Arabia, Persia. 

 This noble Palm attains finally a height of 80, exceptionally 

 120, feet. It is unisexual and of longevity. " Trees of from 

 100 to 200 years old continue to produce their annual crop of 



* These notes were written for the original Victorian edition. 



