AMERICAN GARDEN-BEAN. 261 



The ripe seeds are white, colored and spotted about the 

 eye with purplish-red, oblong, six-tenths of an inch long, and 

 three-eighths of an inch thick. Sixteen hundred and fifty 

 measure a quart, and will plant two hundred feet of drill, 

 or two hundred hills. 



Plants from seeds sown early in the season blossomed in 

 six weeks, afforded young pods for use in seven weeks, green 

 beans in ten weeks, and ripened in eighty-five days. Planted 

 and grown in summer, the crop ripened in eleven weeks ; 

 and plants from seeds sown as late as the first of August 

 afforded an abundant supply of tender pods from the middle 

 to the close of September. 



The Early China is very generally disseminated, and is 

 one of the most popular of the Dwarf varieties. It is hardy 

 and productive ; but the young pods, though succulent and 

 tender, are inferior to those of some other varieties. The 

 seeds, green or ripe, are thin-skinned, mealy, and mild 

 flavored. 



A low-growing, branching variety, twelve Early Kachel. 

 to fifteen inches high ; flowers white ; the 

 pods are five inches and a half long, and contain five 

 seeds. 



Planted early in the season, the variety blossomed in 

 seven weeks ; and in eight weeks the young pods were fit 

 for use. Pods for shelling were plucked in ten weeks, and 

 the crop ripened in eighty days. For the green pods, the 

 seeds may be planted till the middle or 20th of July. 



The ripe seed is yellowish-brown, white at one of the 

 ends, kidney-shaped, often abruptly shortened, five-eighths 

 of an inch long, and a fourth of an inch thick. Nearly two 

 thousand are contained in a quart. 



The Early Rachel is hardy, and moderately productive, 

 and, as an early string-bean, may be desirable ; but as a 

 shell-bean, green or dry, it is of little value. In common 

 with many other early sorts cultivated as string-beans, the 



