BEANS FOR GARDEN CULTURE 217 



are often called wax beans; in the other the pods are green — 

 these are often called the green-podded beans. 



Bush beans are tender annuals and are sown out of doors 

 as soon in spring as the ground is settled and warm, and 

 danger from frost is past. They are commonly planted in 

 drills, although occasionally in hills. It seems to make com- 

 paratively little difference which of these methods is adopted, 

 although on weedy or grassy soil the hill method has the ad- 

 vantage that the rows can be more thoroughly hoed and kept 

 free from weeds. The seeds should be co\'ered to the depth 

 of at least an inch, and the young seedlings will come up 

 under favorable conditions within a week from the time of 

 planting. They require very little care, but should not be 

 hoed or cultivated when the leaves are wet, as this is liable to 

 cause more serious injury, by the fungous disease called the 

 bean rust, than will otherwise occur. The quality of the 

 pods depends, to a large extent, upon the rapidity of growth. 

 When they grow rapidly without any check during their 

 development, they are likely to be of excellent quality, snap- 

 ping readily, and with few of the objectionable "strings." 



In order to have a continuous supply, several sowings of 

 the beans should be made in succession, at intervals of a 

 week or ten days from May until August. 



In addition to the string beans, some varieties are com- 

 monly grown for use as "shell beans." In these cases, the 

 beans are taken from the pods shortly before they are ripe, 

 and used as food. The most popular "shell beans" are 

 tall, climbing sorts which require poles or other supports 

 during their development. 



Still another type of beans which is commonly grown in 

 many gardens is the Lima Bean. The true Limas are mostly 



