THE FIELD BEAN 405 



is sometimes put into the silo, and silage of high feeding value 

 is produced. As a soiling crop, peas and grain have no 

 superior for early feeding in the northern part of the United 

 States. As the plants make a large volume of organic mat- 

 ter rich in nitrogen, they are excellent soil improvers when 

 turned under as green manure. The grain may be fed whole 

 to sheep or hogs, or may be ground into meal. For hogs, 

 grinding is advisable. 



THE FIELD BEAN 



621. The white or navy varieties of the common 

 garden bean, Phaseolus vulgaris, are grown under field 

 conditions for the production of dried beans in some 

 localities, more particularly in Michigan, New York, 

 Maine, and California. The usual method is to plant in 

 rows from 30 to 36 inches apart, after the ground is 

 warm in the spring, and give good cultivation during 

 the growing season. Beans should not be cultivated 

 when the leaves are wet with dew or rain, for they 

 are much more likely to become diseased if disturbed when 

 damp. The rate of seeding depends on the size of the beans, 

 Yi bushel to the acre being sufficient for the navy or pea 

 beans, while as much as a bushel of some of the larger kinds 

 is required. 



When the beans are ripe, they are harvested with the 

 bean harvester, an implement which runs just beneath the 

 surface and cuts the stems and roots, so that the plants may 

 be gathered readily, free from dirt and roots. If the vines 

 are practically dead when harvested, they may be placed at 

 once in well-built cocks, but if there are some green pods and 

 leaves, they should be dried for a few hours before bunching. 

 These cocks are usually built around a pole about 5 feet high, 

 sharpened at both ends. One end is stuck firmly in the 



