292 LEGUMINOUS PLANTS. 



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jS I E V A. 



Carolina. Saba. West -Indian. Small Lima. Carolina 

 "Sewee. Phaseolus lunatus var. 



The Sieva is a variety of the Lima, and attains a height 

 of ten or twelve feet. The leaves and flowers resemble 

 those of the Common Lima. The pods, however, are much 

 smaller, and remarkable for their uniform size, generally 

 measuring three inches in length, and seven-eighths of an 

 inch in width i they are green and wrinkled while young, 

 pale yellowish-brown when ripe, and contain three, and 

 sometimes four seeds. 



Though several days earlier than the Lima, the Sieva 

 Bean requires the whole season for its complete maturity : 

 and even when planted early, and receiving the advantage 

 of a warm summer and a favorable autumn, it is seldom 

 fully perfected in the Northern States ; for, though much of 

 the crop may ripen, a large portion is prematurely destroyed 

 by frost. 



The variety blossomed in eight weeks from the time of 

 planting, afforded pods for shelling in twelve weeks, and 

 ripened from near the middle of September till the close of 

 the season. 



The seeds are white or dull yellowish- white, broad-kid- 

 aey-shaped, much flattened, five-eighths of an inch long, and 

 nearly half an inch broad. A quart contains sixteen hundred, 

 and will plant a hundred and fifty hills. 



The Sieva is one of the most productive of all varieties. 

 The young pods, however, are tough and hard, and are 

 never eaten. The beans, in their green or ripe state, are 

 similar to the Lima, and are nearly as delicate and richly 

 flavored. It is from two to three weeks earlier than the 

 last named, and would yield a certain abundance in seasons 

 when the Lima would uniformly fail. As a shelled-bean, 



