THE VEGETABLE GARDEN 155 



medium early and prolific. Seedmen raise the best 

 seeds. That is their occupation." 



LIMAS 



According" to Cora J. Sheppard of Cumberland 

 county, New Jersey, ** The ground for lima beans 

 may be prepared at the same time as for the gen- 

 eral garden. The hills for beans should be placed 

 4 feet apart each way. Well-rotted manure should 

 be placed in the hills ; half a shovelful to a hill, or 

 a shovelful to every three hills, may be enough. 



" If this is not at hand, commercial fertilizer may 

 take the place of it. The poles should be stuck 

 before planting the beans. A rather heavy stick 

 with an iron point on one end is used to make the 

 holes for the poles. No garden is complete with- 

 out lima beans, and every gardener should own his 

 own bean sticker, and not depend upon neighbors 

 or friends. 



" In this section the beans should not be planted 

 before May lo, and the weather must be just about 

 right. If too damp, the beans decay in the ground. 

 Place four beans in a hill, eyes down, and if they 

 come up well two should be pulled out, if the 

 ground is heavy, or there will be too much of a 

 mass of vines. If the soil is light, the four beans 

 can be left to grow. 



" To get extra early beans we plant about 30 

 hills in the cold frame early in the season. First, 

 we melt tops and bottoms off old tin cans, which 

 are then filled with dirt, and closely packed in the 

 cold frame. The seedlings get a good start and 

 are put in the garden about the time other people 

 are planting their beans. When transplanting it 

 is well to water thoroughly before disturbing, in 



