512 
THE GARDENERS ASSISTANT. 
ful in gardens of limited extent, as it may be planted a for the first sowing. If the seeds germinate 
foot apart each way. 
Yellow Curled.—Dwarf, round; leaves pale-green or 
yellow. The heart is not so compact as some, but it is 
Fig. 1279.—Savoy—Perfection. 
tender and much sweeter than the other kinds. It is later 
and hardier than the other yellow Savoys. 
Scarlet Runner (Phaseolus multiflorus).— A 
half-hardy perennial, native of South America. 
Being commonly grown in cottage-gardens, both 
for use and ornament, it is well known to every- 
one. It is not, however, so generally known that 
the plant is a perennial, having tuberous roots 
like the Dahlia; and that these, after having been 
preserved through the winter in a dry place 
out of the reach of frost, and planted out in 
spring, will yield a crop earlier in the season 
than that afforded by plants raised from seeds. 
well, and be likely to go on favourably, another 
sowing need not be made till the beginning of 
June; but if they are checked by cold weather, 
another sowing should take place in the third 
week in May, or as soon as the weather is 
favourable. Two or three sowings will generally 
be sufficient, namely, one in the beginning of 
May, another in the end of that month, and 
a third in the middle of June. Plants raised 
from these sowings will afford green pods till 
destroyed by frost. 
Scarlet Runners are grown in various ways. 
A common method in the large market-gardens 
near London is to sow at from 8 to 12 inches 
apart, in rows 3 or 4 feet asunder, according to 
the richness of the soil. The plants are not 
supported by sticks, but kept dwarf by pinching 
or cutting off the tops at the second or third 
joint, all other running shoots being also kept 
closely snipped off with a pair of scissors or the 
finger and thumb. Unless this stopping is very 
closely and persistently practised, there will 
soon be a thicket of growth and very few pods 
produced. A mulching of strawy litter keeps 
the pods from being badly splashed and also 
prevents the soil from drying. 
For private gardens the plan of growing these 
Beans in rows at wide distances apart and trained 
on tall stakes is the best. Under liberal culture 
they attain a great height, or as much as 20 
feet, and in some instances they are actually 
'given stakes 12 feet and upwards in height. 
It may be observed that the roots of the Scarlet | 
Runner are very poisonous. 
Cultivation.—The soil should be rich, rather 
deep, not dry and thin, and by no means cold 
and wet. As the plants are too tall and rambling 
for borders, the seeds should be sown in the 
open quarters; and as they are not required so 
early as Kidney-Beans, which are better adapted 
for affording an early supply, the crop of runners 
need not be risked by sowing too early. 
During a hot and dry summer abundance of 
moisture must be supplied to the roots, and in 
the case of shallow, light soils, trenches should 
be prepared as for Celery, and the seeds sown | 
over these. Either this plan or that of drawing 
up the soil on both sides of the rows so as to 
form a trough, renders watering a compara- 
tively easy matter, every drop of water, sewage, 
or other liquid manure applied reaching the 
roots. 
The first week in May will be soon enough 
These tall stakes, with their heavy burden, are, 
however, liable to be blown about by strong 
winds, and, moreover, very high steps are 
needed to gather the pods. As a rule strong 
stakes, from 6 to 9 feet out of the ground, and 
well braced together near the tops with the aid 
of other stakes and tar twine, are more to the 
purpose, and the rows in this case should be 
not less than 6 feet apart. This may seem 
somewhat extravagant, but two rows of early 
Potatoes, or of Cabbages and Cauliflowers, could 
be planted early between the rows of Beans, 
or what are intended as such, while the latter 
will crop all the more heavily for having plenty 
of room. 
Another method is largely adopted in the 
home counties and elsewhere. - Instead of sowing 
the seeds in single lines, they are sown in double 
lines about 1 foot apart, and in each line stakes 
are inserted so as to cross each other at about 
18 inches from their tops. These again are 
strengthened by having a line of stakes connect- 
ing them together where they meet, and such 
