Poles and Trellises for Lima Beans 51 



plants are well established, thin to three in the hill. In 

 planting the seed, no attention need be given to placing 

 the eye down. Careful experiment has demonstrated the 

 uselessness of such practice. The poles should be cut 

 eight feet long and put deep enough into the ground to 

 insure them against being blown over. Drive a post-hole 

 punch down to the depth the poles are to go, insert the 

 poles and press the soil firmly to them. If no post -hole 

 punch is at hand, use a stout piece of hard wood a little 

 larger than the large end of the poles. Drive this where 

 the pole is to be and turn it around as it is withdrawn, to 

 prevent lifting the soil around the sides of the hole. If 

 poles are used, the beans may be planted in rows four 

 feet apart and three feet in the drill. A simple but per- 

 manent trellis may be made as follows: Plant posts of 

 durable material at convenient intervals extending two 

 feet into the ground and seven feet above. Nail to the 

 tops of these posts a stout wire, smooth or barbed, and 

 another one foot from the ground. When the vines begin 

 to run, weave binding twine around both wires to guide 

 the vines in climbing to the top of the trellis or use only 

 the wire at the top of the posts; plant the beans three 

 feet from the trellis on each side and lean light poles or 

 river cane from the bean hills to the wire. The vines 

 will bear more and continue in bearing longer if the pods 

 are not allowed to ripen. 



The pods of the Lima beans are gathered when the 

 beans have attained their full size, but before they begin 

 to toughen. The green -shell beans, boiled and served 

 with drawn butter, afford a delicious and nutritious dish. 

 They add to the flavor of gumbo, along with corn, okra 



