FIELD BEANS 



133 



When the beans are to remain in the field for a longer period 

 to become more thoroughly cured, and when the work of harvest- 

 ing is done entirely by hand, the crop is frequently placed in 

 shocks, which are built around a pole, 4 or 5 feet in height, both 

 ends of which have been sharpened and one end firmly placed in 

 the ground. A small quantity of straw, grass, or other material is 

 placed around the base of the stake, and the beans as they are 

 pulled are piled around the pole until a compact miniature stack 

 about 4 or 5 feet high is formed. This operation is similar to the 

 common practice followed by the growers of peanuts in stacking and 

 curing this crop. The curing process in every case is carried far 

 enough to prevent the vines from molding after they are stored in 

 the barn prior to threshing. 

 If the vines are thoroughly 

 ripened in the field before 

 harvesting and the weather 

 is satisfactory, they will be 

 ready for storing in two or 

 three days. If, however, 

 the vines have some green 

 leaves upon them and the 

 pods are not thoroughly 

 dry, the period for curing 



FIG. 44. Heaps of curing beans 



in the field is of necessity 

 much longer. 



After the beans have been properly cured in the field it is cus- 

 tomary not to thresh them at once but to store them in barn lofts 

 or sheds until the weather is cool. In some instances, however, if 

 the beans are thoroughly field cured they may be threshed in the 

 field ; but ordinarily, in those regions where beans are extensively 

 grown, weather conditions will not admit of their being cured and 

 left in the field long enough for the entire work of harvesting and 

 threshing to be carried on there. 



After the plants are thoroughly cured they are carried as care- 

 fully as possible to the building in which they are to be stored. In 

 fact, all operations connected with the cultivation and harvesting 

 of beans should be done as carefully as possible, in order to avoid 

 injuring the plants while they are growing and to prevent shelling 



