92 



THE VEGETABLE GARDEN 



frame at "work," they will soon be 

 up, and should be kept as near the 

 glass as possible, in order to pre- 

 vent them from becoming drawn. 

 After they have made two single 

 leaves, they should be taken to a 

 cold frame or pit, gradually inuring 

 them to the open air, so as to make 

 them as hardy as possible previous 

 to planting out, which may be done 

 the first week in June. Before 

 planting them out, they should have 

 a good watering, and be taken out 

 of the boxes with as much earth 

 adhering to them as possible. Plant 

 either in double or single rows, 

 4 or 5 in. apart, as close to the wall 

 or fence as may be convenient. If 

 they be then well watered and shaded 

 from the sun for a day or two, and 

 protected from cold at night, they 

 will soon make a good start. 



Sowing in Open Ground. — The 

 first sowing in the open ground for 

 a general crop should be made not 

 earlier than the first week in ^May, 

 for if they are up before the end of 

 that month they are liable to be cut 

 off with frost, unless protection can 

 be afforded them — a rather trouble- 

 some matter where large quantities 

 are grown. Some draw drills in 

 which to sow the seeds, but the 

 best way is to plant them in with 

 a dibble about i in. deep, and then 

 draw the rake over the ground to fill 

 in the holes. Double rows are to be 

 preferred to single ones, as they pro- 

 duce more beans. Each seed should 

 be at least 6 in. apart. INIanaged in 

 this way they grow strongly, and if 

 stopped when they have attained 

 the height of 5 or 6 ft., they will 

 produce fine large trusses of bloom 

 from top to bottom. Where succes- 

 sions are desired, several sowings 

 must be made. The general rule is 

 to sow one good crop and let that 

 serve all purposes; but if a sowing 

 be made the first week in May, a 



second a few weeks afterwards, and 

 another not later than July ist, a 

 continuous supply of young and 

 tender beans will be the result; the 

 last sowing, however, should be only 

 a small one. Sowing in trenches 

 has lately been much practised, and 

 in some cases no doubt with advan- 

 tage ; but when sown in deeply dug 

 ground, trenches are unnecessary. 

 They are generally made with the 

 view of affording an effectual means 

 of watering the plants ; but they 

 necessitate the water being applied 

 close to their bases, which is hurtful 

 rather than beneficial to Runner 

 Beans. Where, however, the earliest 

 crop of Scarlet Runners has to be 

 sown in open quarters, the best way 

 is to take out a trench, say, 3 or 4 in. 

 deep, laying the soil on each side 

 of it in ridges. Pea-wires or bent 

 Hazel sticks may then be placed 

 on the rows after the seed has been 

 sown and covered ; these will afford 

 good supports for mat or canvas 

 protections until the plants will do 

 without covering; after which time 

 the soil may be put back in the 

 trench, and no further earthing-up 

 will be necessary. 



Sticking Scarlet Runners. — 

 Where procurable, common Pea- 

 sticks are best adapted for Runner 

 Beans, but they require to be rather 

 larger and stronger than for Peas ; 

 for unless firmly sticked, they are 

 apt to suffer during rough, windy 

 weather. Where, however, such 

 sticks are not obtainable, stout 

 poles, 7 or 8 ft. long, may be used, 

 placing them firmly in the ground 

 at intervals of 6 or 10 ft. apart along 

 each side of the row. Slender sticks 

 cut the same length as the distance 

 the poles are apart may then be 

 tied lengthways along the poles, 

 I or ft. apart : the plants will 

 twine firmly round these, and thus 

 support themselves. 



