JUST HOW 113 



what not to do ? Having once succeeded in bringing to per- 

 fection his first ten vegetables, a novice learns to interpret 

 many signs in the life of plants to which he was blind before. 

 There is no reason why the ten vegetables here discussed 

 should not be successfully grown during a garden's first year. 

 Even a still larger number could of course be tried, but too 

 little rather than too much is always a safe rule. 



Beans. There is no more wholesome and popular vege- 

 table than beans ; a plentiful supply should be raised in every- 

 body's garden. There are ever so many varieties ; among the 

 commonest are string beans or snap beans, — the entire pod 

 being edible, — besides wax, Lima, and pole beans. The scar- 

 let runner is also a pole bean and is often grown as an orna- 

 mental vine, but its beans are desirable as shell beans. Almost 

 all kinds of beans are now raised in dwarf varieties. The 

 following hints are applicable to their culture in general. 



Beans are, on the whole, hardy and easily grown. The only 

 possibility of failure would lie in planting the seed before the 

 soil is warm and dry, for beans are warm-weather thrivers. 

 In the north the middle of May is early enough. They like 

 rich, moist soil, in contrast to a poor and shallow one, and 

 need every ray of sunshine they can get. Give them always 

 an abundance of light and air ; plenty of moisture too has- 

 tens growth. This method makes the beans deliciously crisp ; 

 grown slowly, they are likely to be tough and tasteless. The 

 pods should be ready to gather in twelve or fourteen weeks. 

 There can be several plantings. The first three can be made 

 on ground from which there has been harvested spinach, early 

 radishes, or lettuce ; after that, on ground from which there 

 will have been taken peas, potatoes, and beets. If the school 

 gardener can raise only one sort of bean, let it be string beans 

 by preference, though it would even then be instructive to 

 ripen a few shell beans. 



