FIELD BEANS 131 



Cultivation of field beans. Like all other hoe crops field beans 

 require frequent shallow cultivation. The stirring of the soil for 

 the purpose of holding the weeds in check and preserving a soil 

 mulch over the area occupied by the growing crop is the im- 

 portant factor in bean culture. Implements with narrow blades 

 which stir the soil to a depth of between 2 and 3 inches are most 

 desirable. Those designed for the culture of corn, which have 

 narrow blades such as are found in all implements provided with 

 spring-teeth attachments, will be satisfactory. 



At the last cultivation the plants may be slightly hilled ; that 

 is, the soil may be thrown toward the plants with small wings. 



FIG. 42. Bean harvester used in the East 



This has the advantage of leaving them on a slight ridge, which 

 facilitates the work of harvesting when this is done by mechanical 

 means. There is a tradition that beans should not be cultivated 

 when the dew is on the vines. This undoubtedly has a foundation 

 in fact for the reason that moisture is congenial to the spores of 

 disease. It is known that anthracnose is communicated through 

 the soil and that mud or dust will carry the spores to the leaves 

 of the plant. Cultivation while the dew is on the ground will 

 certainly scatter the disease. 



Harvesting field beans. For many years the extensive culti- 

 vation of hoe crops, such as field beans, was impossible because of 



