POLE BEANS. 35 



of them, and so it is better to put in more than you really 

 need, and thin out the weaker plants, leaving three or 

 four of the strongest and best in the hill. It is a good 

 plan to set the pole in the hill before planting the beans. 

 If the pole is not put in until the beans are growing, you 

 are apt to disturb the plants. Put the poles in at least a 

 foot deep, so that the wind will not blow them over when 

 covered with vines. We sometimes plant four or five 

 Lima-beans in a flower pot in the house or hot-bed, and 

 when the plants are well started and the soil is warm 

 enough, we set out the plants in the garden, being care- 

 ful not to disturb the roots any more than we can help. 

 I have had a very early crop of Lima-beans by adopting 

 this plan. 



It is a pity that we cannot get a good dwarf variety of 

 Lima-bean. We have a great variety of excellent dwarf 

 or bush beans that are good for eating, pod and all, in the 

 green state, or good for shelling when green, like Lima- 

 beans and peas, or good for cooking when ripe. It is not 

 often, however, that the same variety of bean is equally 

 good for all these purposes. The Lima-bean is generally 

 used for but one thing. You could not eat the green 

 pods, and they are not often cooked when dry and ripe, 

 though I am told they are very good. They are the most 

 delicious of all beans for shelling and cooking when 

 green. 



OTHER POLE BEANS. 



There are other varieties that are specially adapt- 

 ed for string beans, that is, for eating the pods while 

 green. I do not know that the pole varieties are any bet- 

 ter for this purpose than the dwarf or bush kinds. One 

 of the best varieties of pole beans, is the Speckled Cran- 

 berry or London Horticultural. It does not usually grow 

 over five or six feet high, and I have known a good crop 



