P H A 



P H A 



to rot, but the young plants that happen to come 

 lip early are often cut off, or greatly injured, by 

 the morning frosts, or cokl cutting winds, that 

 frequently prevail in the beginning of this and 

 the following month. But to\vards the middle 

 of it, if the weather is fine and dry, some may i)e 

 ventured in a warm dry situation and light soil, 

 for the early natural crops; and in the latter end 

 of it, or beginning of the following month, 

 when the weather is suitable, it is proper to be- 

 gin to put in the first general crops in tiie open 

 quarters, &c., and to continue planting some 

 every fortnight or three weeks until the middle 

 or latter end of July; by which means regular 

 supplies of young kidney-beans may be had for 

 the table or market, from about the middle or 

 latter end of June until the beginning of the 

 autinnn season. 



\V'here, ho\\ever, it is desired to try them as 

 early as possible in the full ground, some may 

 be put in about the beginning of April, in dry 

 weather, close under a warm wall, or other 

 similar situation w here the soil is dry ; and in 

 a fortnight after some more, in a larger por- 

 tion. If the first should fail, these sometimes 

 succeed ; and if both are attended with success, 

 one will follow the other in bearing ; though it 

 is two to one against the success of the first 

 planting. But as only a few should be planted 

 so early, if they fail, it is only the loss of a little 

 labour and seed, as the same ground will do 

 airain ; and if they succeed and produce only a 

 few hut a week sooner than common, they will 

 be esteemed a raritv, either for fannly use or 

 the market. 



They all succeed in any common dry soil of 

 the garden ; but for the forward crops, a dry 

 light soil should constantly be chosen, rejecting 

 heavy and wet grounds, for in such a soil most 

 of the early-planted seed infallibly rot. Like- 

 wise for the early crops, it is higly requisite to 

 have a sheltered warm situation full to the sun: 

 a warm south border is a very proper exposure ; 

 but for the main crops, any of the open quar- 

 ters may be made use of with propriety. 



The methods of sowing or planting all the 

 sorts is in shallow drills, from two to three feet 

 asunder, to reniain where sown. 



For the early crops, taking advantage of a dry 

 day, neat drills should be drawn with a hoe 

 from north to south, two feet or thirty inches 

 asunder, and near an inch deep ; and to afford a 

 greater chance of success, a drill may be made 

 close along under the wall, where practicable ; 

 in these drills the beans should be dropped in 

 rows along the bottoms, only about an inch 

 and a half asunder, as many of this early sowing 

 may fail ; covering them evenly with the earthj 



not more than an inch deep ; as when covered 

 too deep at an early period many are apt to rot, 

 by the cold moist dampness of the earth. As 

 soon as they arc covered in, the surface should be 

 lightly raked smooth ; when the work is finish- 

 ed. They come up in about twelve days or a 

 fortnight ; when they should be managed as di- 

 rected below ; and the plants mostly come into 

 bearing in six or eight weeks afterwards. 



For the main crops to be planted aftevvards, al- 

 most any situation, either in the borders, or an open 

 exposure, may be employed; though an open situa- 

 tion in any of the large quarters is, as has been seen, 

 the most proper. In this case drills should be 

 drawn two feet and a half asunder, and about one 

 inch deep ; or, when it is designed to plant rows 

 of savoys or cabbage-plants between, (as is often 

 practised where necessary to husband the ground 

 to the best advantage, but which should always 

 be avoided if possible,) the drills should be a 

 yard asunder at le.ast ; the beans being dropped 

 in singly along the bottom of each drill, about 

 two or three inches asunder, covering them in 

 evenly afterwards with the earth about an inch 

 deep, and finishing with a light raking to smooth 

 the surface. They mostly come up at this season 

 in ten or twelve days, and sometimes sooner in 

 fine weather ; and the plants nsually come 

 into plentiful bearing in six or eight weeks af- 

 terwards. 



In planting out the later general crops, when 

 the weather proves very dry and hot, and the 

 ground of course very dry, it is proper either to 

 soak the beans a few hours in soft water pre- 

 vious to planting; or, instead of this, letting 

 the drills for the reception of the beans be well 

 watered, and planting them immediately as above, 

 covering them in the proper depth. Either of 

 these methods is very advisable in dry weather 

 in the heat of summer ; it being necessary at 

 such times to promote the free germination of 

 the seed, in order to bring them up soon and 

 regularly, as they would otherwise rise in a 

 straggling manner. 



In regard to the general Culture. — ^When the 

 plants of all the above crops are come up, they 

 are in general to remain where sown or planted, 

 to yield their produce ; though when necessary 

 some niav be transplanted, keeping them clean 

 from weeds by occasional hoeing in dry weather ; 

 and when the plants are advanced about three or 

 four inches high, hoeing up a little earth to their 

 stems on each side, which will forward their growth 

 and promote theirstrength ; continuing the care of 

 destroving weeds as often as their growth may 

 render it necessary ; which is principally all the 

 culture required for these sorts, in the full 

 groundj till they arrive at a bearing state, and 



