40 



THE VEGETABLE GARDEN 



robust and fruitful growth. When 

 potted, they should be again placed 

 in a genial atmosphere, in which 

 they will grow on rapidly and be 

 in bloom from five to six weeks 

 after sowing. Then it will take the 

 pods about a fortnight to swell up, 

 and the crop will be ready for the 

 table in about eight weeks after 

 sowing. As the pots fill with roots, 

 large quantities of water must be 

 given them, and frequent syringing 

 as well, as having the atmosphere 

 in which they are growing humid 

 will prevent the attacks of insects. 

 Red spider and thrips are very fond 

 of indoor Kidney Beans, but both 

 may be checked by water. When 

 potted in good soil, manure-water 

 will not be required until the first 

 pods have been formed ; then it 

 may be given them in quantity so 

 long as they continue to bear. 

 Sowings made every three weeks 

 until the middle of April will keep up 

 a constant supply of fine fresh pods 

 until those sown outside come in. 



Those who wish to keep up a 

 constant supply of forced Beans 

 should sow a quantity every fort- 

 night, beginning in September. We 

 have kept up a fair supply by sow- 

 ing five dozen potfuls at a time, 

 but this, of course, must be done 

 according to the demand. At times 

 we have placed only one of the 

 small potfuls of young plants in 

 the 8 in. one, but where space was 

 limited we have put three small 

 potfuls into this size. When this 

 can be conveniently done, it is a 

 profitable way of growing Beans, as 

 a great many more are secured from 

 the pots with the most plants than 

 from the others, and the space re- 

 quired for both is about the same. 



When in bloom the flowers 

 should be kept as dry as possible, 

 as the fruit forms with more cer- 

 tainty than when the blooms are 



damp. We never allow any of the 

 growths to fall over the sides of 

 the pots, as this checks them ; but 

 when any of them are so tall or 

 weak as not to be able to stand 

 without support, pieces of birch 

 from old brooms are put in to hold 

 them up. As soon as any of the 

 pods become large enough to 

 gather, they should be removed 

 from the plants at once, as there 

 is nothing so much against the 

 production of a long succession of 

 pods from the same plants as allow- 

 ing some of the first-formed pods to 

 become old. — J. M. 



Kidney Beans to Force. — Ii 

 was generally supposed that the 

 best forcing Beans were Newington 

 Wonder, Sir Joseph Paxton, Early 

 Prolific, and Osborn's New Early 

 Forcing. Mr. R. Gilbert then took 

 to forcing Canadian Wonder, and 

 it is likely that a great many more 

 kinds might easily be forced. 

 Amongst the French varieties, the 

 most generally grown for that pur- 

 pose are Triumph of the Frames, 

 Etampes, Black Prince, Chalandray. 



Culture in Market Gardens. 



When Peas and Broad Beans 

 begin to get comparatively scarce, 

 French Beans are always welcomed 

 in the London markets. They 

 always command a sale, provided 

 they are good and fresh, and over- 

 stocking the market with them is 

 almost a thing unknown ; but when 

 large quantities of them are intro- 

 duced prices are of course affected. 

 Under any conditions, however, 

 and all through the summer, a good 

 crop of Beans is a profitable one, 

 and where soil and situation are at 

 all suitable, market growers culti- 

 vate French Beans in large quanti- 

 ties. The principal kinds grown 

 are the Newington Wonder and 



I 



