98 



THE VEGETABLE GARDEN 



plant, the pods of which, instead of being straight, are curved round 

 and round, from which peculiarity it received the name of Ram's- 

 horn Bean. Its culture and uses are the same as those of the 

 ordinary variety. 



ASPARAGUS BEAN 



Very Early Long-pod Asparagus Bean. 



Dolichos sesquipedalis , L. 

 Leguiiiinos(2. 



French, Dolique Asperge, Haricot 

 Asperge. Gerjfian, Amerikan- 

 ische Riesen - Spargel - Bohne, 

 Langschotige Spargel - Fasel. 

 Dutch, Indiaansche Boon. 

 Jtalta7t, Fagiuolo Sparagio. 



Native of South 

 America. — Annual. — 

 Stems climbing, 6 to over 

 9 ft. long ; leaves deep 

 green, rather large, long, 

 pointed ; flowers large, 

 greenish yellow, with the 

 standard bent backwards, 

 remarkable for two small 

 parallel auricles which 

 compress the wings and 

 the keel : they are borne 

 either solitary or two 

 together on the top of 

 the flower-stalk. Pods 

 pendent, cylindrical, light 

 green, very slender, and 

 long ; not unusually ex- 

 ceeding I J ft in length. 

 The seeds are few for the 

 size of the pod, being 

 generally from seven to 

 ten in number ; they are 

 kidney-shaped, and red 

 or pale wine-lees colour 

 with a black circle round 

 the white hilum ; they 

 are seldom more than 

 about \ in. long. The 

 plant is cultivated in the 

 south of France, especially 

 in Provence. The culture 



