250 Peas and Beans 



In the Northernmost States, it is usually inadvisable to 

 attempt to grow the large late pole lima beans unless one's 

 soil is particularly quick and the exposure is very warm. 

 The seasons are usually too short, and the nights are likely 

 to be too cool. Under such conditions it is best to rely 

 largely on the sieva kinds, which are not very high climbers 

 and some of which are nearly or quite "bush" in form 

 and habit. These sieva beans are very heavy croppers and 

 mature in the short seasons of the North. Although the 

 beans are not very large, the quality is good. 



Lima beans are more tender than the common garden 

 beans, and are planted later. 



The dwarf limas are excellent for northern gardens. 

 Some of them are heavy croppers, and they retain the ex- 

 cellent quality of the pole varieties. They may be planted 

 as close as 6 to 10 inches in the row, and the rows may 

 stand only 2 feet asunder. 



The Bean Plants 



Vicia. Leguminosw. A genns of wide distribution on tlie 

 globe, comprising more tlian 100 species of annual and peren- 

 nial herbs. 



V. Faba, Linn. Sp. PI. 737. (Fa'ba ■vulgaris, Moench, Meth. 

 150. 1794.) Broad Bean. Strong erect simple or sometimes 

 branched plant, 1 to 6 ft. high : germination hypogeal : stem 

 glabrous, angled and grooved : Ivs. many, all cauline, pmnate, 

 petioled, with clasping stipules ; leaflets 2 to 6, semi-opposite 

 or alternate, entire, various in size and shape, 1% to 4 in. 

 long, obovate, elliptic to lance-ovate, blunt or very obtuse or 

 even retuse and usually short-cuspidate, the terminal one usu- 

 ally represented by a rudimentary tendril : flowers few in 

 short axillary clusters, narrow, papilionaceous, 1 to 1% in. 

 long, dull white with purple markings on the standard and 

 purple wings or purple spot on them ; calyx unequally 



