FORCING POLE BEANS UNDER GLASS 35 



From the above table it is evident that the pole beans are 

 much more productive than the dwarf varieties. Not only is 

 this true in the first three pickings, but they continue to yield 

 good returns for a much longer period. The time from ger- 

 mination to maturity is a trifle longer perhaps with pole beans 

 than with the dwarf varieties. 



It may be said, however, that the above-named dwarf varieties 

 are not those commonly forced excepting perhaps the Extra 

 Early Refugee ; this is likewise true of the pole varieties. 

 Doubtless should the pole bean receive attention, a variety 

 could be developed in a comparatively short time that would 

 be equally as well adapted for forcing as the popular Sion 

 House variety of the dwarf beans. 



Distance to Plant. The first trial was made by planting 

 the beans in rows eighteen inches apart each way, using two 

 or three plants in each hill. This resulted in a very dense foli- 

 age when fully grown but it did not seem to hinder their pro- 

 ductivity. 



Toward the latter part of the experiment one variety was 

 touched with bean rot but the others were perfectly healthy. 

 The other trial was made by planting the hills similarly but by 

 using cords for each plant to run on instead of poles as in the 

 former case. The plants were more evenly distributed above 

 the bench and gave better results. Pole beans are usually 

 planted three or four feet apart out of doors. 



Catch crops^ like radishes, which come ofi' quickly, can be 

 planted between pole beans during their earlier stages. 



Insects ^ Fimgus, and Pests. No pests of any kind seemed 

 to trouble us excepting the single instance of pod rot which cut 

 short the late picking of the Golden Champion variety during 

 one of the trials. Red spider and mite are said to be trouble- 

 some in forcing dwarf beans, and these are kept in check by 

 maintaining a moist atmosphere. 



Marketing. In the East string beans are usually sold by the 

 quart measure during season, but the forced product is gener- 

 ally sold by the bunch, tying up from 25 to 50 pods together, 

 according to the size of the variety. The price varies accord- 

 ing to the demand ; it is thought that from 25 to 50 cents a 

 bunch may be considered an average price. If dwarf beans 



