VEGETABLES ii 



The priests of Egypt held it a crime even to 

 look at beans ; the very sight of them was unclean. 

 Pythagoras forbade his disciples to eat beans 

 because they were formed of the rotten ooze out of 

 which man was created. The Romans ate beans 

 at funerals with awe, from the idea that the souls of 

 the dead were in them. 



These beans are extremely nutritious, and, when 

 gathered young and nicely cooked, are very diges- 

 tible. 



They succeed best in a deep, stiff, loamy, 

 moderately rich soil, and, once the seed is sown, 

 require little attention beyond earthing up the 

 plants well by drawing the soil freely against them 

 on either side when the young plants are a few 

 inches high. They should be planted in single 

 rows, with a distance of six to twelve inches from 

 plant to plant. The dwarfs should have less space 

 between them than the tall varieties. 



The Long-pod varieties should be sown in 

 February and March for early crops. 



Immediately the plants have ceased blooming 

 pinch off the points beyond the blooms, and if the 

 weather is very dry, damp the blooms ever with 

 water from a syringe. Broad beans are subject to 

 the attacks of the black fly. The best preventive 

 of this pest is early planting and pinching out the 

 points of the plant. 



Norfolk Giant, Giant Seville Long Pod, and 

 Green Windsor are some of the best sorts. 



