(Read Preface) 25 



REOUIREIJEMTS AND f;IETHODS OF GROWING BEANS (LIMA ) 

 Time to Maturity - 110 - 130 days 

 Life- Annual 



Soil Requirements- 



Surface : Good loam or alluvial soil, free from excessive alkali 



best, but v/ill grow on wide range from fertile sand 

 to adobe. 



Subsoil : Good moisture retainer. 



Depth : 4' or more 



Climatic Requirements- 



(1) Freedom from scorching suns. 



(2) Fogs required to temper atmosphere. 



(3) Dry weather in fall to insure ripening. 



Water Requirements- 



Amount: practice of irrigation still in infancy, but increasing. 

 When needed: June 15 to July 10. 



Calendar of Operations - 



Preparing Seed Bed : Plowed 8' to 14" November or December. March - 



April worked' down with clod masher, "Cyclone" 

 chiselB" deep, (three times), weed knife used 

 ahead of the planter. March replowed, or better, 

 cultivated and harrowed. "Cyclone" weeder used 

 until planting time at 10 day intervals. Ringroll 

 to bring up moisture before planting. 



Seeding: 



Time : April 25 - May 20 

 Quantity Seed : 50" 



Method and Distance: Seed dropped 8" in rows, rows 30, 



32. or 36" apart. 



Care of Grov/ing Crop : 



Cultivated with weeder knife every 10 days during May and 

 June. Hoed from three to five times (June) 



Harvest: 



VuTien : September 1 - October 15. 



How : Vines cut with horse knife (bean sled drawn by 2 horses) 

 forked into small piles, left 1-3 weeks until 

 moisture evaporates, threshed by contract (harvester 

 furnishing everything but hay for his horses. Put 

 in 80# or 100# sacks. 



