BEAN FARMING IN THE EAST LOTHIANS. 261 



or spring preparation, the application of farm-yard dung, 

 and of wide interval drilling by machine, the perfection of 

 bean culture is met with. As the beans delight in a deep, 

 though firm soil, the stubble is ploughed in autumn as 

 deep as possible, a depth of not less than 8 inches being 

 aimed at. The ploughing covers in the manure which, in 

 a rotted condition, has been laid over the stubble at the 

 rate of twelve cart-loads to the acre. As soon as the 

 weather is favourable in spring, and the land in good dry 

 condition, the land is well harrowed, or ploughed, or 

 broken up by the contrary workings of a grubber. It is 

 then turned over with furrows 27 inches wide, in the fur- 

 rows of which IJie seed is deposited by drilled, and the 

 ridges split by the double mould-board plough, so that 

 the soil is delivered on each side, covering the seed. Or the 

 seed may be sown broadcast, and falling into the furrows, 

 it is covered with the harrow, or by splitting the drills. A 

 light rolling then succeeds, and then a slight harrowing to 

 break up the surface. As soon as the plants are about 

 two inches above the ground, the light plough is sent to 

 take from the sides of the drills a light furrow, reversing 

 it into the hollows. The scuffler is used for the subsequent 

 workings, which are continued as long as the plants per- 

 mit. After each scarifying, hand-hoeing is performed, and 

 this as carefully as possible, not only cutting the weeds on 

 the sides of the drills, but passed between the plants in 

 the drills, so that the weeds are removed and the soil 

 loosened. In some cases the drills are earthed up with a 

 double mould-board plough. This method now described 

 is carried out on the fen lands, and on deep earthy loams ; 

 and forms, says Professor Donaldson, " the most perfect 

 system of bean farming." 



58. Perhaps the finest and most successful bean farm- 

 ing is met with in the East Lothians, where, says this 

 authority, " the deep loamy clayey concreted gravels near 

 the town of Dunbar, and the red rolling clays that overlie 

 the trap rocks south from North Berwick, exhibit the cul- 

 tivation of beans in a manner that is (elsewhere 1) un- 



