BEANS. 



BEANS. 



the plants, generally before the pods are filled, 

 the best method is to cut down the crop in its 

 green state ; and if it cannot be consumed in 

 the farm-yard, to plough it into the ground, 

 where it will decay rapidly, and be an excel- 

 lent manure for the succeeding crop of wheat. 

 If allowed to stand, the crop will not only be 

 unproductive, but the weeds will infest the 

 ground, and spoil the wheat crop by their 

 seeds and roots, which will remain in the soil. 

 Whenever the tops of the beans begin to be 

 moist and clammy to the feel, it is the fore- 

 runner of the aphis. They should then be im- 

 mediately cut off, and this, if done in time, 

 may save the crop from the ravages of the 

 insects ; but the most effectual way to prevent 

 any disease from attacking the plants in their 

 growth, is to have the ground in good heart, 

 and well tilled; to drill the beans at a suffi- 

 cient distance between the rows, to allow the 

 use of the horse-hoe, and thus to accelerate the 

 growth of the plants, and enable them to out- 

 grow the effect of incipient disease, which 

 seldom attacks any but weak plants. In the 

 year 1831, there were imported from abroad 

 23,388 qrs. of beans. The largest proportion 

 came from the following countries ; Denmark, 

 1299 qrs.; Prussia, 1157 qrs.; Germany, 7664 

 qrs. ; the Netherlands, 7070 qrs.; France, 1454 

 qrs.; Italy, 3691 qrs.; Malta, 1031 qrs. The 

 total quantity of pulse (for beans and peas are 

 included in the return) entered for home con- 

 sumption in 1834, was 102,080 qrs.; in 1835, 

 94,540 qrs. (Appendix to Second Agr. Report 

 for 1836, p. 282. ; Phillips' a Cultivated Vege- 

 tables ; Penny Cyc. vol. iv. ; Baxter's Agr. 

 Lib.,- Prof. Low's work on Agr. , Com. Board of 

 Agr., vols. iv. and vi. ; M'Cullocfi's Com. Diet.') 



Garden Beans. The following varieties are 

 those principally cultivated: Early mazagan, 

 a great bearer, and a good sort. Early Lisbon, 

 or Portugal bean, a small and sweet kind. 

 Common sword, and other long-pods, the 

 most abundant bearers, and consequently 

 more generally found in the cottager's garden 

 than any other sort. Small Spanish. Broad 

 Spanish. Toker, a good bearer, middling 

 large. White and black blossomed, good sorts, 

 and bear well ; middling size : the seed, when 

 old, is apt to degenerate if not saved with care. 

 Windsor, one of our best-tasted beans when 

 young ; but not a hardy kind. Green nonpa- 

 reil, smallish. Besides these, there are the 

 Munford, Dwarf-cluster, or Fan, and the Red 

 blossomed, varieties of little value. In some 

 places the Fan is, however, much grown. It 

 grows only from six to twelve inches high ; 

 the branches spread out like a fan, and the 

 pods are produced in clusters. The soil 

 should vary with the season. For the winter- 

 standing and early crops, a moderately rich 

 and dry soil is best adapted to them, since, if 

 too moist, the seed is apt to decay, &c., whilst 

 a moist aluminous one is best for the spring 

 and summer insertions. Although the bean 

 will succeed in much lighter soils than is ge- 

 r.^rally imagined, yet, if such are allotted to it 

 \\Uen thus late inserted, the produce is much 

 diminished. The situation cannot be too un- 

 incumbered, but still a protection from violent 

 winds is very beneficial, as no plant is more 

 154 



liable to suffer if its leaves are much injured. 

 It is propagated by seed. For the first produc- 

 tion, in the following year, a small plantation 

 may be made at the close of October, or during 

 November, and a rather larger one in Decem- 

 ber. These should be inserted on a south 

 border, in a row, about a foot from the fence, 

 or in cross-rows. If intended for transplanting, 

 the seed may he sown likewise during these 

 months. Regular plantations may be continued 

 to be made from the beginning of January to 

 the end of June, once every three weeks. 

 Early in July and August the two last crops 

 must be inserted. The Windsor, which is the 

 principal variety then planted, should have a 

 south border allotted ; it comes into production 

 about Michaelmas. 



The experiments of Bradley serve as a guide 

 in some respects, whereby to apportion the 

 extent of the plantations. He found that a rod 

 of ground, containing fourteen rows, in pairs, 

 at two feet distance, the plants in which are 

 six inches apart, or thirty-four in number, will 

 yield forty-seven quarts of broad beans. 

 Smaller varieties only from one-half to one- 

 third as many. (General Treat, on Husband, 

 and Garden., vol. iii. p. 16.) If the plants are 

 intended to be transplanted, which is only 

 practised for the early crops, the seed must be 

 sown thick, about an- inch apart, in a bed of 

 light earth, in a sheltered situation, and of such 

 extent as can be covered with a frame. If 

 frames and hand-glasses are deficient, matting 

 or litter, kept from pressing on and injuring 

 the plants, by means of hooping, &c., are 

 sometimes employed. These, however, afford 

 such imperfect shelter, that there is scarce any 

 advantage supeiior to the mode of sowing at 

 once, where the plants are to remain, since the 

 intention of this practice is to keep them in 

 vigour, and to forward their growth, by secur- 

 ing them from ungenial weather. Care must 

 be taken that they are not weakened from a 

 deficiency of air or light; to guard against 

 this, the lights should be taken entirely off 

 every day that excessive wet or cold does not 

 imperatively forbid their removal. The usual 

 time for removing them into the open ground, 

 in a south border, is February ; if, however, 

 the season is inclement, they may be kept 

 under the frame until May ; but then a week 

 previous to their removal, Bradley informs us, 

 they ought to be cut down within two inches 

 of the ground. (Gen. Treat, on Husband, and 

 Garden.) When removed, as much earth as 

 possible should be retained round the roots of 

 plants ; and they must be set at similar dis- 

 tances as the main crops. No water is re- 

 quired, unless the season be very dry. When 

 sown to remain, the seed may be inserted in 

 rows, by a blunt dibble, or in drills, drawn by 

 the hoe, from two and a half to three feet 

 apart, from two to four inches apart in the 

 row, and two deep, the earliest crops and 

 shortest varieties being set at the smallest dis- 

 tances. These spaces may be considered as 

 large by some gardeners ; but the beans, Miller, 

 from experience, asserts, are more productive 

 than if set twice as close. Previous to sowing, 

 in summer, if dry weather, the seed should be 

 soaked for two or three hours in water, or if 



