146 THE BOOK OF NATURE STUDY 



the weather is very dry, they will be benefited by a good watering. 

 It is important that throughout growth the soil should be kept 

 moist, and this can best be secured by maintaining a good surface 

 mulch of loose soil with the hoe. 



THE SCARLET RUNNER (Phaseolus multiflorus) 



The time and method of planting are much the same as in the 

 case of the Dwarf Bean, except that the seeds are sown in a double 

 row in a drill ten to twelve inches wide. The plants will grow 

 to a height of six or seven feet. When the plants are three 

 inches above ground they must be staked with stout poles 

 seven feet high. Like the Dwarf Bean, the plants require an 

 abundance of moisture, and they should therefore be mulched 

 with manure or by hoeing. 



THE BROAD BEAN (Vicia Faba) 



This is a very hardy plant, which will succeed on almost any 

 soil, though it is most productive on a stiffish clay. It is better 

 to plant in rows rather than, as is usually done, in plots. The 

 seeds are sown, at the end of February or the beginning of March, 

 in drills ten inches wide and three inches deep made with the draw 

 hoe. A double row is sown on either side of the drill, the distance 

 between each seed being about six or eight inches. As soon as 

 the flowers drop off and the pods begin to form the tip of each 

 plant is pinched off. This procedure is found to result in the 

 production of better filled pods. 



THE PEA (Pisum sativum) 



The Pea thrives best in a deep rich soil, and requires abundance 

 of light and air. Hence the soil should be trenched and well 

 manured before planting, and the rows should run north and 

 south, and should not be close together or overshadowed with other 

 tall-growing crops. Peas are hardy like the Broad Bean, and the 

 main crop sowing may be made at the beginning of March. 

 Successional sowings may be made in April and May. A shallow 



