108 THE AMERICAN GARDENER. [Chap 



dock leaves, while there were hundreds of horse- 

 foot shells in his yard. The dock-leaf would wither 

 in the day. A fresh supply must te had for the 

 next night. This circumstance shows, however, 

 how desirous people are to get this vegetable early ; 

 and, by the method that I have pointed out, it may 

 be had fifteen days, at least, earlier than it generally 

 is. As to the main crop, it is by no means advisa- 

 ble to sow very early. If you do, the seed lies long' 

 in the ground, which is always injurious to this 

 plant. The plants come up feebly. The cold wea- 

 ther, that occasionally comes, makes them look yel- 

 low ; and they, then, never produce a fine crop. 

 Of the various sorts of pole-beans one sowing it 

 enough ; for, if you gather as the beans become fit 

 for use, they continue bearing all through the sum- 

 mer, especially the Lima-bean, which delights in 

 heat, arid for which no weather can be too dry ; and 

 which should never be sown till the ground be right 

 warm. The Dwarf sorts may be sown all summer, 

 from the time that the ground becomes warm to 

 within seven weeks of the time that the little frosts 

 begin in the fall ; for, they will, at this season, pro 

 duce, for eating green, in six weeks from the day of 

 sowing. I sowed them on the 15th of August, and 

 had several gatherings to eat green before the 2d of 

 October when the first frost came. They were not 

 cut up by the frost till the 17th of October; and 

 they kept bearing till they were. A row or two 

 sown every fortnight, across one of the Plats (see 

 Paragraph 60) will keep any family, however large, 

 well supplied. And, perhaps twenty rows, across 

 one of the Plats, for pole-beans of all the sorts that 

 are desired, will be more than sufficient. It is best 

 to sow several sorts of these ; for some bear early 

 and some later than others. As to the sorts of Kid- 



