156 The Profitable Culture of Vegetables. 



stems on each side. Keep the soil stirred and clean by fre- 

 quent hoeing. As soon as the blooms are set pinch out the 

 tops; this will cause the pods to fill quicker and will check 

 the ravages of the black fly. When this pest is present the 

 tops should be put in a pail as they are removed and burnt at 

 once. As soon as the pods are gathered the plants should be 

 pulled up. If kept straight and dried this straw is useful for 

 making rough mats and other protective purposes. 



Manures : On land manured for the preceding crop no 

 further natural manure is required, or the growth may run 

 too much to leaf. Basic slag 2 ozs., and kainit 1 oz. to the 

 square yard applied to the ground in autumn or early winter 

 will help the crop materially. 



Varieties: For November sowing, Early Mazagan ; for 

 January and February, Seville Long-pod and Green Long-pod; 

 in March, Broad Windsor. 



BEANS (DWARF KIDNEY or FRENCH). 



Phaseolus vulgaris. 



WHEN French Beans can be got early they are a profitable 

 crop to grow, but the demand for them falls away as 

 soon as runners become plentiful, and every effort should 

 therefore be made to get them in full bearing well in front of 

 the earliest pickings of runner beans. They do best on a rather 

 light soil, but any ordinary loam will yield a paying crop if it is 

 well prepared and is given a fair dressing of manure. 



For the earliest crops some provision must be made to pro- 

 tect the plants from frost, as they are very tender. They may 

 be grown in cold frames or under cloches, or failing either of 

 these one of the protective devices described and illustrated in 

 Chapter XVII may be used. The seed may be sown where 

 the plants are to remain, about the middle of March, in a light 

 rich compost. For frames sow in rows 1ft. apart, Sin. between 

 the seed, and thin out to 6in., using some of the surplus plants 

 to fill up blanks. Give no air until the seed has germinated. 

 Exclude frost by covering closely each night with mats. When 

 the plants are up give air on all favourable occasions, but 



