34 



THE VEGETABLE GARDEN 



will not grow well or vigorously in a temperature which is not over 

 50° Fahr. It is destroyed by one or two degrees of frost. It 

 likes a rich, light, well-drained soil, with which manure has been 

 thoroughly well mixed, and it may be observed that it does better 

 in soil which has been well manured in the previous year than in 

 newly manured ground. This remark applies to field cultivation, 

 as well as to that of the kitchen-garden. 



We will now rapidly review the various modes of cultivation 

 under which Kidney Beans are grown. As they delight in fresh 

 air and light, they are seldom sown in hot-beds for a first crop 

 before February (they are sometimes so sown in December or 

 January, but it is not unusual to see plants which are raised at 

 that time pine away or damp off). The seed is sown in a frame^ 

 placed on a bed of fresh manure, which is covered with good soil or 

 leaf-mould to the depth of 5 or 6 in. Air should be regularly 

 given whenever the weather permits, taking care at the same time 

 not to bring down the temperature to a degree that would be 

 injurious. As the plants increase in size, all sickly or discoloured 

 leaves should be removed, as well as any of the healthy ones which 

 give too much shade or hinder the free circulation of the air. 



The first crop may be gathered eight or ten weeks after sowing, 

 and sometimes sooner when the weather is favourable. Sowings 

 on hot-beds may be continued until March. The plants so raised 

 in April are usually planted out in the open air ; and, in fact, 

 plants raised in hot-beds may be always advantageously pricked 

 out. Some gardeners keep their forced Flageolet Beans growing, 

 and after taking from them a crop of green pods, leave some to 

 ripen, from which they obtain another crop of fresh ripe Beans in 

 May, when they command a high price. The varieties which are 

 generally used for this purpose are the Dwarf Dutch Kidney 

 Bean, which is much the same as the White Flageolet ; the Early 

 Etampes Flageolet, and the Scalloped-leaved Flageolet. The Black 

 Belgian Kidney Bean and the Yellow Chalandray are also vrell 

 adapted for forcing. 



The time for making a sowing, in the open air, of Kidney 

 Beans, the pods of which are intended to be gathered in the green 

 state, commences as soon as all danger of frost is over, and the soil 

 has become sufficiently warm. Successional sowings may be made 

 from April to August. The seed may be sown either in holes 

 made with the dibble, or in drills, according as the kinds sown 

 vary in vigour and growth. This mode of culture requires hardly 

 any attention except the use of the hoe and watering in hot 

 weather. Some gardeners are in the habit of earthing-up the 

 plants at the first hoeing, and this gerierally appears to be pro- 

 ductive of good results ; the flowers come into bloom continuously^ 

 and the growth of the young pods is very rapid, so that gatherings 



