464 MANUAL OF GARDENING 
In respect to their uses, beans again may be divided into three cate- 
gories; viz. those used as string or snap beans, the entire pod being 
eaten; those that are used as shell beans, the full-size but immature 
beans being shelled from the pod and cooked; dry beans, or those 
eaten in their dry or winter condition. The same variety of bean 
may be used for all of these three purposes at different stages of its de- 
velopment; but as a matter of fact, there are varieties better for one 
purpose than the other. 
Again, beans may be classified in respect to their species. Those 
species that are best known are as follows: (1) Common bean, or 
Phaseolus vulgaris, of which there are both tall and bush forms. All 
the common snap and string beans belong here, as also the Speckled 
Cranberry types of pole beans, and the common field beans. (2) The 
Lima beans, or Phaseolus lunatus. The larger part of these are pole 
beans, but lately dwarf or bush varieties have appeared. (3) The 
Scarlet Runner, Phascolus multiflorus, of which the Scarlet Runner and 
White Dutch Runner are familiar examples. The Scarlet Runner is 
usually grown as an ornamental vine, and it is perennial in warm coun- 
tries, but the seeds are edible as shelled beans. The White Dutch 
Runner is oftener cultivated for food. (4) The Yard-Long, or Asparagus 
bean, Dolichos sesquipedalis, which produces long and weak vines and 
very long, slender pods. The green pods are eaten, and also the shelled 
beans. The French Yard-Long is the only variety of this type that is 
commonly known in this country. This type of bean is popular in the 
Orient. (5) The Broad beans, of which the Windsor is the common 
type. These are much grown in the Old World for stock feed, and 
they are sometimes used for human food. They grow to one strict, 
central, stiff stalk, to a height of 2 to 4 or 5 feet, and they are 
very unlike other kinds of beans in appearance. In this country, they 
are very little grown on account of our hot and dry summers. In Can- 
ada they are somewhat raised, and are sometimes used in the making 
of silage. (6) The cowpea, which is really a bean (species of Vigna), 
much grown in the South for hay and green-manuring, is also a very 
good table vegetable and one that is destined to increase in popularity 
for domestic use. 
The culture of the bean, while of the easiest, often proves a failure 
as far as the first crop is concerned, from planting the seed before the 
