246 CULTURE OF FAKM CROPS. 



roots enabling it to penetrate deeply into, and take hold 

 of the soil ; hence the necessity there is for allowing the 

 soil to get well settled after it is cultivated, before the seed 

 is put in. To secure this, the land should be ploughed 

 early if possible, this giving a freeness to the upper sur- 

 face essential for a seed-bed, and yet the solidity from 

 settlement above alluded to. The bean crop is almost 

 always taken from com stubbles ; this should, if possible, 

 be cleaned in the autumn, and the manure should then be 

 spread over the surface, ploughed in as deeply as possible, 

 and left very rough. In this condition it may be left till 

 spring time. Some prefer the manure to be spread well 

 rotted early in the spring, and then to be ploughed in ; 

 but the Professor states that this does not suit the crop so 

 well as the plan described above, as the land by the latter 

 mode does not have time to settle, and the land below gets 

 too consolidated from the absence of the manure during 

 the winter months. Should the land not be prepared dur- 

 ing winter, the seed is often ploughed in without the fur- 

 row slice being broken. The period of sowing extends 

 over February and March. The earlier, however, the 

 seeding is got through, the better for the crop. When the 

 beans are well up, the use of the roller is deemed advis- 

 able to consolidate the soil, and secure a vigorous after 

 growth. The quantity required in sowing by the drill is 

 four bushels the acre. In sowing the winter crop, the 

 ploughing should be finished by the middle, or at the 

 latest, the end of September, and left a month to settle 

 and consolidate ; the land being required in the firm con- 

 dition already alluded to for the winter sown, as well as 

 for the spring sown beans. When the ground is firm, 

 drill the seed, and at wider intervals than used for spring 

 sown beans. For the latter, Professor Tanner prefers in- 

 tervals of 24 or 26 inches between the rows ; double rows 

 at 6 to 8 inches being used, thus 



i 

 8" 26" 8" 26" 8" !! 6" 24 " 6" 



