26 THE VEGETABLE GARDEN 



pods. Where tall varieties are 

 grown, some support should be given 

 them to prevent their being broken 

 by the wind. The best support is 

 thick twine tied to strong stakes 

 driven in the ground on each side 

 of the rows. Long, slender sticks, 

 tied to the stakes, lengthways along 

 the rows, will answer, but the plants 

 are apt to get bruised against them 

 when swayed to and fro by the wind. 



Kinds. — Although there have re- 

 cently been many new and valuable 

 additions made to our lists of beans, 

 there are some of the older kinds 

 that still maintain their position. 

 Dwarf kinds are sometimes pre- 

 ferred for the smallness of the beans 

 rendering them more delicate-look- 

 ing than some of the larger varieties. 

 Of dwarf kinds. Beck's Green Gem 

 and the Dwarf Fan are two of 

 the best ; the plants assume a 

 neat, compact habit, are abundant 

 croppers, and good in quality ; in 

 this respect, however. Beck's Gem is 

 preferable, on account of its green 

 colour. The taller kinds of Mazagan 

 are not worth growing in comparison 

 with the Long-pods and Windsors ; 

 but where small beans are preferred 

 they answer the purpose. Though 

 recommended in every book on the 

 subject, the Mazagan is for us the 

 worst and most useless of its race. 

 The Long-pods are earlier than the 

 Windsors, and are therefore prefer- 

 able to them for first and second 

 early crops. The Seville Long-pod 

 is a variety of Broad Bean that has 

 been for many years in cultivation 

 on the Continent, especially in Spain, 

 where it has done good service in 

 supplying food during times of war. 

 It well deserves the high commenda- 

 tions bestowed upon it, and ought 

 to be in every good garden. It is a 

 very early variety, with immensely 

 long pods, the points of which reach 

 the ground and seem to prop up 



the plant. It is rather tender. The 

 variety named Aguadulce is said 

 to be the true variety of this. It 

 is a taller and somewhat stronger 

 grower. The Windsor is most suit- 

 able for main or late crops. 



Soil, Mulching, and Watering. 

 — A deep, well-drained, strong loam 

 is most suitable for Broad Beans, 

 with the exception of early crops, 

 when the soil may be of a lighter 

 character. Where the soil is too 

 light, it may be improved by tread- 

 ing it firmly whilst in a dry state, 

 or planting without digging. If the 

 ground in which Beans are to be 

 grown has been manured for previ- 

 ous crops, it will be found sufficiently 

 rich for them, as a very rich soil 

 will produce too luxuriant a growth, 

 which is inimical to the production 

 of pods. During dry weather it is 

 a good plan to give a good mulching 

 of half-rotted manure between the 

 rows of main crops of beans to save 

 watering ; but it should be done 

 before the plants are in bloom, in 

 order to keep the roots in a moist 

 condition whilst the blooms are 

 setting, this being highly necessary 

 to the production of large, full pods. 

 Watering is seldom necessary for 

 Broad Beans if grown in a deep soil; 

 where, however, the soil is shallow, 

 it may sometimes be needed, in 

 which case it should be thoroughly 

 done, and afterwards the ground 

 should be mulched. 



In London market gardens, when 

 these beans are gro^vn, dry and 

 light soils in warm positions are 

 chosen for early sowings, which con- 

 sist of the Early Mazagan. Sowings 

 of this kind are made in January 

 and again in February, in rows 2^ ft. 

 apart, running across or obliquely 

 in the borders or quarters. Large 

 sowings of the Long-pod are made 

 in the latter half of February and in 

 March, in rows equally distant as 



