370 Select Plants for Industrial Culture and 



when that stream was discovered by Cartier, together with Pumpkins 

 or Gourds. Beans were much cultivated in the Antilles, Florida 

 and Mexico, prior to the arrival of Europeans, according to Acosta, 

 Oviedo and Vaca. Professor Wittmack refers the black beans, 

 widely known as " Feijdospretos " through South- America and there 

 extensively used for human food, to P. vulgaris as a variety. Though 

 this common and important culinary annual is so well known, it has 

 been deemed desirable to refer to it here, with a view of reminding 

 our readers, that the kidney-bean is nearly twice as nutritious as 

 wheat ; it is, among culinary vegetables, the richest in nitrogenous 

 compounds. The meal from beans might also find far-augmented 

 use. As constituents of the beans should be mentioned a large 

 proportion of starch (nearly half), then much legumin, also some 

 phaseolin (which, like amygdalin, can be converted into an essential 

 oil) and inosit- sugar. The tall variety also well suited for moist 

 equatorial regions. A variety called Cardinal's Bean (P. sphaericus) 

 has globular red seeds. Lentils contain more legumin but less starch, 

 while peas and beans are almost alike in respect to the proportion 

 of these two nourishing substances. The kidney-bean can still be 

 cultivated in cold latitudes and at sub-alpine elevations, if the 

 uninterrupted summer- warmth last for four months ; otherwise it is 

 more tender than the pea. With our present rapid steam communi- 

 cation supplies are now available to us from either warmer or colder 

 zones, according to season. The soil should be friable, somewhat 

 limy and not sandy for field culture. Phaseolus nanus, L. (the 

 dwarf bean) and P. tumidus, Savi (the sugar-bean, 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 [W. B. Booth]. The seeds will retain their vitality fully 

 three years. This plant matures under horticultural care even in the 

 dry hot desert-regions of Central Australia. 



Phleum alpinum, Linne. 



Europe, Asia, North- and South-America, on high mountains, 

 extending to Arctic regions. According to Drs. Stebler and 

 Schroeter, this is a good productive fodder-grass on strong but not 

 too wet soil. 



Phleum Michelii, Allioni. 



Mountains of Middle and Southern Europe. A tall, productive, 

 valuable fodder-grass, naturally confined to limestone-formation, 

 generally on dry, stony soil in sunny situation [Drs. Stebler and 

 Schroeter]. Better suited for mowing than grazing. 



