KIDNEY BEAN, OR FRENCH BEAN 



37 



they are up, by removing the weakest 

 plants. In any case, a few extra 

 seeds should be thrown in at the 

 ends of the rows to provide for 

 filling up blanks, which often occur 

 in early crops when the ground is 

 cold and wet. The earliest sowing 

 out-of-doors should be made the 

 second or third week in April, if 

 the weather be favourable, otherwise 

 it is better to wait a little longer. 

 It is not advisable to plant very 

 largely for early crops, unless they 

 are wanted in quantity ; it will be 

 found better to make two or three 

 small sowings at intervals of a week 

 or ten days during April ; after that 

 the principal or main sowings may 

 be made until the middle of June, 

 after which time make a few smaller 

 sowings for autumn use. The last 

 sowing should not be later than the 

 end of July, unless protection can 

 be afforded the plants in the autumn. 

 For principal crops the plants should 

 be thinned out to 9 in. or i ft. 

 apart in the row, the rows being 

 2 1 or 3 ft. asunder, according to the 

 varieties grown. 



Earthing-up the row is a point 

 that has been much disputed, some 

 growers being of opinion that it 

 is beneficial, while others think 

 the reverse. For early crops we 

 should, however, strongly recom- 

 mend earthing-up, as it has a 

 tendency to keep the soil around the 

 roots in a drier, and consequently 

 a warmer, state than it otherwise 

 would be; for the main crops, how- 

 ever, we would recommend rather 

 deeper planting, and heavy mulch- 

 ings in dry weather in preference 

 to earthing-up. Stopping the points 

 of the shoots is practised by some 

 growers ; it is, however, immaterial 

 for general crops, but in the case 

 of early Beans and those grown 

 under glass it is advantageous. 



Soil. — French Beans like a light. 



rich, sweet soil ; therefore if the 

 ground does not already possess these 

 qualities, good rotten manure or 

 leaf-mould should be added. If 

 worms abound, a good dressing of 

 soot or lime should be given, and 

 if this can be done in the winter, 

 and the ground thrown into ridges 

 or roughly dug, it will be all the 

 better. For pots and beds under 

 glass the soil should consist of 

 three-quarters light turfy loam, and 

 one-quarter decomposed manure or 

 leaf-mould. Soil in which Cucum- 

 bers have recently been growing 

 will generally answer well for 

 Beans ; in all cases a sprinkling of 

 soot amongst it will be found bene- 

 ficial. We have seen trimmings 

 from the edgings of walks, chopped 

 up and mixed with fresh horse- 

 droppings, used for pot culture with 

 the very best results. 



Mulching and Watering. — A 

 good mulching of seaweed or half- 

 rotted manure from old linings, or 

 litter from Vine borders, applied 

 between the rows of all kinds of 

 Kidney Beans that are grown out- 

 of-doors, will be found beneficial in 

 keeping the soil about the roots 

 in a moist condition, and in pro- 

 moting a free and luxuriant growth, 

 which is highly necessary to the 

 production of long supplies of fine, 

 tender, and juicy Beans. Copious 

 waterings at the roots will be neces- 

 sary for all kinds of Beans, wher- 

 ever they are grown, when they are 

 coming into flower, if the weather 

 be dry — otherwise, instead of the 

 blooms setting, they will fall off. 

 Manure-water may also be advan- 

 tageously applied after they are set, 

 but not before, as it promotes so 

 much growth, which is inimical to 

 bearing. Guano-water may be given 

 to those grown in pots with advan- 

 tage ; but it is no better than good 

 manure-water from the stable-yard, 



