266 



THE ILLINOIS FAEMEK. 



Sep„ 



will fall little below the usual figures. 



The plowing of the stubble land 

 should now be prosecuted with some 

 energy ; and if new orchards are to be 

 set, the land should be put in order 

 for the next month, as then we must 

 begin to plant. 



If you need a new well or cistern 

 now is the time to have them attended 

 to, and not leave them for the fall rains. 



A Chapter on Beans. 



To know or not to know beans has 

 for a long time been considered a desid- 

 ered a desideratum. Without pretend- 

 ing to any great light on the subject, 

 and premising that with the exception 

 of the Lima, we seldom eat them in any 

 form, whether snaps, succotash, baked 

 or in broth, in fact we are not fond of 

 beans for food. But as several mem- 

 bers of our family are fond of the arti- 

 cle, and as they are also a profitable 

 crop, especially in the orchard, we plant 

 them extensively. 



Last Spring the Commissioner of 

 Agriculture sent us a collection of beans 

 which we planted, aud for the benefit of 

 the bean eating public we give the re- 

 sult of the season's trial. 



Lima. — These were planted May 10, 

 in rows four feet apart, and hills same 

 distance in the row, they should have 

 been two feet in the row. Have used 

 no poles, and they begin to ripen, giv- 

 ing promise of a good crop. The fam- 

 ily make exclusive use of these for suc- 

 cotash and otherwise, in fact, since the 

 first of August they have been the only 

 bean allowed on the table. The Lima 

 of the Department is the same as those 

 had of Hovey, of which we have an acre 

 in crop. "We find it no more trouble to 

 -grow the Lima than the Kavy, with 

 the exception of planting and harvest- 



ing. (3ur machine will not drop them 

 properly, and we have to do it by hand, 

 and in harvesting they are not so easily 

 disposed of. 



All of the following were planted 

 May 5th, and have had the same treat- 

 ment. 



HORTICTJLTUKAL BlACK BeAI^^. This 



is is a pole bean and one of no value 

 in our estimation. We shall throw it 

 out. It is not yet ripe and only mod- 

 erately productive. 



Eaely Yalentine. — ISTot yet ripe 

 and cannot therefore be considered very 

 early. It is however a very pretty bean, 

 but not sufiiciently productive to recom- 

 mend it ; shall leave it out of om- list. 



Dtjn Coloked Bean. — This is rather 

 productive, making a good snap bean, 

 but the color is not in its favor for a 

 cooking bean. 



Newington. — This is an ^rly bean, 



but too dwarf in its habit to please us. 



HoKTicuLTUEAL BEAN.-This is amoug 



the most valuable of the early beans 



for snaps or for other uses. 



China Red Eye Bean. — This is the 

 best bean for snaps and general use in 

 our list of early garden beans. It is 

 not quite as early as the dun colored. 

 It is now harvested, August 20th. It 

 holds a high position among gardeners 

 and should have a place in every gar-' 

 den. The seed had of the Department 

 was nearly two weeks ahead of that 

 had of Mr. Periam, of Hope, Cook co., 

 and the plant did not produce as abund- 

 antly, or so large specimens. The dif- 

 ference must be due to difference of soil 

 and climate where grown. 



]S"avy Bean. — Those planted May 

 10th are now nearly ready to harvest 

 and will produce a good crop, but the 

 late planted have yielded to the drouth 



