THE CULTURE OF VEGETABLES. 



463 



Somewhat stiff retentive soils suit this form "I Bean best, 

 and it is wise to have them planted, well rooted, and 

 flowered ere hot dry weather sets in, as then Mack aphis 

 becomes prevalent, settles on the plant tops, injures them 

 by great sap absorption, and this absorption conduces to 

 loss of crop through the non-setting ol the bloom. 



Beans, Broad, are divided into two distinct sections, that 

 called Broad Windsor havingshort broad pods, each 1 ontain- 

 ing usually two large beans, ol whl h there are pale and 

 green kinds. This form is the most commonly grown for 

 market sale, but the Long Pods are most favoured in ordinary 

 gardens. Apart from diversity ol pod, the differences in 

 habit and appearance ol plants are trilling". The most 

 widely grown of the Windsor tvpe are the llarlington 

 Windsor and the Green Windsor, the latter being by 

 some preferred because ol its deep colour. When the 

 Beans are cooked young they are excellent. After 

 the eves have become black, if well boiled, then have 

 the skins removed and served up to table with gravy 

 and condiments. The Long Pod section includes more 

 varieties ; the oldest is the Early Mazagan, a variety once 

 widely grown, but now displaced by the Early Long 

 Pod, and that capital main crop variety, Johnson's Won- 

 derful. But these, excellent as they are, have been proved 

 very inferior for show purposes, at least (though of great 

 garden excellence) to the Spanish Long 1 'oils, known as the 

 Seville, Aquadulce, Leviathan, etc These all closely 

 resemble each other, flower and pod being quite early, and 

 generally they carry long pods, some exceeding 12m. 

 in length. The Beans 

 are tender and pleasant 

 eating, but neither can 

 be described as good 

 croppers. Broad and 

 Long Pod Beans, being 

 hardy, may be sown in 

 January, and up to 

 April, usually in rows 

 2 ft. apart, the Beans 

 being placed jin. 

 to 4in. apart in the 

 rows. When the plants 

 are well in bloom it is a 

 good practice to pinch 

 out the tops and thus 

 throw the strength of 

 the plants into the pro- 

 duction of fine pods. 



Beans, Butter, are found in both climbing and dwarl 

 sections, but the climbers are the best. These grow loan 

 average height of about 6ft. if well cultivated, and pod 

 freely. When ready for use the pods, about 6in. long, 

 are of a rich golden colour, and very thick and fleshy. 

 They are cooked whole, being stringless, and when 

 properly served are delicious. The best variety is 

 Mont d'Or. General culture lor all climbing Beans 

 should be in the form of either deeply-trenched and well- 

 manured soil, or else trenches 2ft. wide should be opened 

 for each row, the top spit of I2in. being thrown clean out, 

 then a thick dressing of manure cast into the bottom, and 

 this should be mixed well, by deep forking, with the 

 bottom soil. The top soil may then be replaced, 

 and have mixed with it some well-decayed manure. 

 The Beans should be sown in drills jin. deep, drawn 

 with a large hoe, 6in. apart, down the middle of the 

 prepared trench, and the seeds placed in regularly down 

 each drill, but not opposite to each other, fully 9m. apart. 

 So treated the plants later, being properly supported 

 with the aid of tall, stout sticks or sprayed branches, will 

 grow strong and crop for a very long season. Sowings 

 may lie made from the middle of May, generally a safe 

 time, to the end of June. The latter sowings will give- 

 very late cropping plants, but these should be grown 

 where some slight protection from early autumn frosts can 

 be conveniently furnished. To secure continuous cropping 

 hard gathering of the pods is essential. Where it is 

 desired to save some plants for seed it is good policy to 

 reserve a portion of a row for the purpose, allow ing the 



pods to harden and mature, and then gathering all others 

 produced loo late lor the purpose. Growers lor exhibition 

 invariably save the finest and handsomest long po Is lor 

 such purpose, as a lew seed beans so obtained perpetuate- 

 all the best features of the strain. These Beans bear 

 liberal waterings during hot, dry weather. A liberal 

 dressing or muh h of manure laid along over the soil on 

 eai h side ol the row is very help ul in checking evapora- 

 tion and keeping the soil cool and moist. 

 BeailS, Dwarf Kidney. These are usually treated as 

 crops of a more fugitive order, and seldom remain any 

 length of lime on the ground. The great facility with 

 which sowings can be made renders il needless topreserve 

 the plants alter they have furnished good gatherings. 

 Varieties are numerous, some very early and w ith small pods 

 being best suited for forcing in pols in houses. For outdoor 

 purposes excellent varieties are Ne Plus Ultra, Mohaw k, 

 Long-Podded Negro, Magnum Bonum, and Canadian 



W ler. These make an excellent succession if small 



quantities be sown in this order. The earliest outdoor 

 sowing may be made on a warm border early in 

 May, and if the plants be lighllv protected at night 

 for a lew weeks, until danger from later frosts is past, 

 they will he carrying good pods for gathering at mid- 

 summer. I Hher sowings may he made every fortnight up 

 to the end of August, as beyond that dale nothing would 

 be gained. The drills should be ;in. deep, and from 2ft. 

 for the earliest to 2/,It. apart for the latest anil strongest, 

 whilst in the drills the seeds should be placed not less 



than 4111. apart. It is 

 surprising how far a 

 pint will go when thus 

 thinly distributed. 

 Though Kidney Beans 

 do not need deep, rich 

 soil, yet, like all these 

 crops, they thrive best 

 where the ground is at 

 least deeply dug. 



Beans, Forced Dwarf. 



— Where there are at 

 disposal frames, pits, 

 and houses heated, it is 

 not difficult to have 

 Dwarf Kidney Beans 

 for table all through 

 the winter. A sowing 

 may lie made in a 

 large movable frame stood on a warm south border, 

 the soil within being raised a few inches, early 

 in September. Ne Plus Ultra is a good variety for that 

 purpose. Later in the month a quantity of bin. 

 pots, three parts filled with soil, being previously well 

 drained, should be sown each with about seven Beans and 

 lie just covered with soil, then watered and placed on 

 a shelf near the glass in a temperature of from oodeg. to 

 bjdeg Syon House Prolific and Newington Wonder are 

 good lor this purpose. Similar sow ings should be made 

 at least every three weeks up to the end of January, when 

 Ne Plus Ultra may be again sown. Beans grown thus 

 need ample lightand warmth, with occasional syringingand 

 fumigations with tobacco smoke, as aphis and red spider 

 soon breed if the atmosphere be too dry or over-heated. 

 Plants raised singly in small pots and planted outdoors in 

 shelter in April fruit very early. 

 Beans, Kidney. — Under this appellation come all the 

 tender climbing and dwarf Beans so useful in the summer, 

 and furnishing a large supply of pods over a long season. 

 'The Runner, or climbing section, is, without doubt, the 

 most useful, and certainly last longer than any other. 

 Of these the old Scarlet or rough Dutch Runner is most 

 in favour, and is by far the most widely grown. 'This 

 section is very robust in growth, for il sown thinly and in 

 deep well-manured soil the plants will grow to a height of 

 I oft. on tall sticks or other supports, and fruit for fully 

 three months. 'The flowers are scarlet, white, and in the 

 case of the Old Painted Lady both white and scarlet. The 

 scarlet-flowered forms are most liked, but in other respects 



FRENCH BEAN, EARLIEST OF ALL. 



