KITCHEN-GARDEN PLANTS. CHAP. 



intention was that it should be confined within the space 

 of a couple of square yards. Mint, however, forms an 

 exception to what has just been said about collecting the 

 herbs together in one place ; for its encroachments are 

 such that it must be banished to some spot where those 

 encroachments can occasionally be restricted by the ope- 

 rations of the spade. 



123. BEAN. Bean is the name given to two plants 

 having very little resemblance to each other in almost 

 any respect. In the French language, they have two 

 different names wholly dissimilar to each other. That 

 sort which we call our bean, and which is an upright 

 plant, rising very high, producing a very large seed, and 

 is called garden-bean or horse-bean : that species the 

 French call J "eve ; that species which we call kidney-bean 

 (because the seed is exactly in the shape of a kidney), 

 or French bean, because, I suppose, it came originally 

 from France, the French call haricot ; which latter name 

 has given rise to an application of it, very curious, but 

 quite congenial to the turn of mind and taste of those 

 by whom it has been adopted. Thus, we see, a dish of 

 stewed mutton, made richer than its own means would 

 afford, by all manner of ingredients, call a haricot of 

 mutton ; whereas the French mean by a haricot of mut- 

 ton a dish full of haricots or beans, with a little morsel 

 of mutton stewed along with them. The English bean, 

 which is that that we have now to speak of, has several 

 varieties, the favourite amongst which, is the broad bean, 

 or Windsor bean. The long-pod is the next best, though 

 there are several others of nearly the same form, size and 

 quality. But, there is one bean which is called the 



