KIDNEY OR FRENCH BEANS 153 



Thoroughly break up the bottom with a steel fork 

 and add ten inches of good rotten manure, which should 

 be covered with some of the finest soil taken from the 

 trenches, and make the surface neat and fine. 



When ready for planting lift the plants carefully 

 with a trowel, having a double line in each trench, 

 ten inches apart and eight inches from plant to plant. 

 Dust with soot and sprinkle with fine cinder ashes 

 round the plants. When they are tall enough, with 

 sufficient bloom showing, the tops can be picked out. 



Good soakings of liquid manure should be given 

 when the pods are well set, and if exceptional pods are 

 required examine the best plants and mark the most 

 promising with a piece of bast. Remove the smaller 

 pods and leave about six of the best on the plant. 



It is a good plan to stake separately, thus en- 

 couraging the pods to grow straight and prevent wind 

 from blowing them about. A good mulching of 

 manure will be of much assistance in dry weather. 

 When staging for exhibition they are best arranged 

 all one way on a dish. Pick them the evening previ- 

 ous to the show as they will last better if left on the 

 plant than if picked a few days before and put into 

 water, unless in a too forward condition. Leviathan 

 is preferable to any other variety, and Green Long- 

 pod is good. 



KIDNEY OR FRENCH BEANS. 



The first sowing should be made under glass in 

 pots or in a heated brick pit, the former being pre- 



