KIDNEY BEAN, OR FRENCH BEAN 



Long-podded Negro, which, although 

 old varieties, are reckoned to be the 

 best for the market. Their produc- 

 tive qualities are great, for when 

 well attended to as regards timely 

 picking of the pods, they continue 

 fresh, vigorous, and fruitful for a 

 long time, and their pods, as a rule, 

 are less apt to turn tough and 

 unusable with , age than is the case 

 with some varieties. The Black 

 Belgian has also found its way into 

 the market-gardens ; it is a good, 

 dwarf, early sort, much like the 

 Negro, of which it is considered to 

 be a variety. It is very useful for 

 late sowings and for early frame 

 work. Some growers prefer the 

 Newington Wonder to all other 

 sorts ; it is a very prolific dwarf- 

 growing kind. Other growers prefer 

 the Negro, which they grow in 

 frames, for their earliest, main, and 

 latest crops ; but most of them also 

 grow the Newington Wonder. The 

 Canadian Wonder or Red Flageolet 

 is one which will doubtless be 

 grown largely for market. It is a 

 robust grower, a good cropper, and 

 its pods are nearly as large as 

 those of a Scarlet Runner and of 

 good quality. 



Early crops in market gar- 

 dens are grown in frames, such as 

 have been cleared of Cauliflower 

 and Lettuce plants; the mould in 

 the frames is pointed over with a 

 spade, and the beans are sown in 

 four rows under each light, and 

 about 3 or 4 in. from seed to 

 seed in the row, when the soil is 

 dry. The middle of March is the 

 common lime for sowing in frames, 

 and then the sashes are kept close 

 till the seeds have germinated, when 

 they are tilted up a little at the 

 back in favourable weather; but 

 care is always taken to keep them 

 close in the case of cold winds, and 

 to cover them over with mats or 



litter in the event of frost. As the 

 plants advance they are treated 

 more hardily, but judiciously, ac- 

 cording to the weather. After the 

 middle of May, when all fear of 

 frost has passed, the sashes are 

 entirely drawn off throughout the 

 day, if fine, and replaced at night. 

 Whilst growing, plenty of water is 

 given them at the roots, and pick- 

 ing commences about the second 

 or third week in June, or about 

 three weeks sooner than the earliest 

 border crops come into use. A 

 few frames, too, are also frequently 

 occupied by French Beans sown 

 thickly, for the purpose of trans- 

 planting thence to the open ground, 

 and to fill any blanks that may exist 

 in the frames in which the sowings 

 for fruiting therein have been made. 



The first outdoor crop is 

 usually transplanted from such 

 frames, and the warmest possible 

 position is selected for this pur- 

 pose ; the time for so doing entirely 

 depends on the state of the weather 

 and nature of the ground. If the 

 weather be fine, the soil moderately 

 dry and light, and the position warm 

 and sheltered, the plants are com- 

 monly transplanted during the first 

 fortnight of April, but if otherwise,, 

 they are delayed a little later. They- 

 are then lifted with as much earth 

 adhering to their roots as possible,, 

 and are planted in little patches, 

 under hand-lights. The usual way- 

 is to draw lines 3 ft. apart across the- 

 border, others 2^ ft. asunder length- 

 ways, and upon the middle of every- 

 little square thus marked place an. 

 ordinary hand-light, under which: 

 place six or eight plants. If there • 

 be not sufficient hand-lights for the- 

 whole space to be planted, half- 

 bushel vegetable baskets are in-- 

 verted over the plants; and, as they 

 are so open to the wind, they arc: 

 sometimes covered for a time with, 



