(Read Preface) 

 REQUIREMENTS AND METHODS OF GROWING BEAMS (BLACK EYES) 

 Time to Maturity - 130 days 

 Li f e- Annual 



19 



Soil Requirements - 



Surface 



Subsoil 

 Depth 



Rich, sandy loam best, but will grow over wide range. 



Good moisture retainer. 



2' or more, according to moisture retention qualities. 



Climatic Requirements - 



Water Requirements- 



Freedom from frost; warm, sunny days; warm nights. 

 A hot weather plant. 



Amount: Usually a dry land crop. Irrigation, however, is practiced in 



southern California, in portions of San Joaquin 

 Valley, and when grovm as second crop. Rusts if 

 grown in presence of too much moisture. 



Calendar of Operations- 

 Preparing Seed Bed 



: Plowed 6 - 8" in fall - fallowed during rainy 

 season. Cultivated 4" in spring. Harrov;ed and 

 worked into good seed bed- mulch maintained up 

 to planting time by cultivating at ten day intervals, 



Seeding: 



Time: May and June 



Quantity Seed: 20" (range 10 - 35#) 

 Method and Distance: Drilled in rows 



dropped 3 



23" to 36" apart, seed 

 to 4" apart in rov/. 



Care of Growing Crop: Cultivated from one to three times at 2 weeks' 



interval up to blossoming (July 15) using weed 

 cutter type of cultivator. Hoed, if v/eedy, one to 

 three times. If irrigated, water is given just 

 after bloom has fallen. No cultivation given sub- 

 sequent to blossoming. 



Varieties: Black Eye 



Harvest 



Time: August - September 



How: Vines cut with bean sled, left to dry, forked into piles 

 for later threshing, or threshed direct from 

 windrow, put in bags, after threshing, holding 

 80 or 100#. 



