LEGUMINOUS PLANTS. — THE KIDNEY BEAN. 



71 



Bean-ash. 

 Mean of three analyses. 



Potash . . . 33.56 



Soda .... 10.60 



Lime .... 5.77 



Magnesia . . . 7.99 



Oxide of iron . . . 0.56 



Phosphoric acid . . 37.57 



Sulphuric acid . . 1.00 



Chlorine . . . 0.73 



Silica .... 1.15 



98.93 



One quart of Mazagan beans (one of the 

 smallest sized) contains 434 beans, and one 

 quart of Windsor (one of the largest) contains 

 179 beans. 



§ 3. — THE KIDNEY OR FRENCH BEAN. 



Natural history. — The kidney or French bean 

 (Phaseolus vulgaris, L.) belongs to the natural 

 order Leguminosse, subdivision Sarcolobae, tribe 

 Phaseoleae ; and to the class Diadelphia, and 

 order Decandria, in the Linnaean arrangement. 

 The genus Phaseolus contains 14 species of 

 plants cultivated for the food of man, exclusive 

 of the species multiflorus, which forms the next 

 section. Of P. vulgaris there are many varie- 

 ties in cultivation, but, like those of pease, 

 they are at present in considerable confusion 

 as to identity. The name Phaseolus is derived 

 from Phaselus, a little boat, from the resem- 

 blance in its seed-pods. 



The kidney bean is a native of India, intro- 

 duced to Britain before 1597 — some say so early 

 as 1509, and that it was imported from the 

 Netherlands, about which period gardening be- 

 gan to be attended to in England, the white kid- 

 ney bean being the first variety known in this 

 country. Phillips, in " History of Cultivated 

 Vegetables," vol. i. p. 74, says, " this pulse is 

 generally but improperly called French bean, 

 for its old French name, Feve deRome, evidently 

 proves it not to have been a native of France. 

 We also find that it was called the Roman bean 

 in our language about the time of Queen Eliza- 

 beth. Gerard also gives it the name of Sperage- 

 bean, and says it is called Faselles, or long 

 peason. The Dutch at that time (1596) called 

 them Turck's-boone — that is, Turk's-bean. From 

 these facts, but more particularly from the ac- 

 count of the great Roman naturalist, we may 

 conclude that this wholesome and excellent 

 vegetable is a native of the eastern extremity of 

 Europe, or that part of Asia now belonging to the 

 Turks; for Pliny, in the 7th chap, of his 18th 

 book, mentions these beans, and says those of 

 Sesame and Iris are red, resembling blood. He 

 also, in his 12th chap, of the same book, calls 

 them Phaseoli, and says the pod is to be eaten 

 with the seed. From this laconic notice we 

 may assume they were but little esteemed at 

 that time in Italy, where lupins were then so 

 much admired for food. The French name of 

 Haricot originated from their being much used 

 by cooks in the composition of a dish so call- 

 ed. The English name of Kidney bean was 

 given on account of the seed being somewhat of 

 a kidney shape. Gerard mentions a consider- 



able variety that was cultivated in England in 

 his time, and says, " The fruit and pods of kid- 

 ney beans, boyled together before they be ripe, 

 and buttered, and so eaten with their pods, are 

 exceedingly delicate meate, and do not engender 

 winde as the other pulse doe." 



Kidney beans are amongst the most valu- 

 able of culinary vegetables, yielding a large re- 

 turn of crop, and continuing in use during 

 the whole summer. The variety known as 

 the scarlet-runner is a most productive sort, 

 and although requiring the support of stakes 

 in the manner of pease, yet it well repays the 

 expense and the space it occupies. In Scot- 

 land this excellent vegetable is much less culti- 

 vated than in England; indeed, the cottager, 

 and even many of a higher grade, do not ap- 

 pear to be aware of their merits. It is found in 

 most cottage-gardens in the south, and made 

 to add to the ornament of the garden, as well as 

 used for culinary purposes. Philip Miller ap- 

 pears to have brought it into use as an article 

 of food, for, prior to his time, we find it de- 

 scribed as an ornamental annual, and placed in 

 the flower border, and its flowers greatly sought 

 after by ladies, to be put in their nosegays 

 and cut-flower pots. The dried seeds of all the 

 tribe are exceedingly nutritious as an article of 

 food, constituting the haricot so much used on 

 the Continent ; indeed, the quantity of gluten 

 contained in them nearly approaches that in 

 wheat. 



Uses. — Kidney beans, in their young state, are 

 preserved in salt for winter use ; they are also 

 preserved as a pickle by themselves, and form 

 an ingredient in mixed pickles. They are also 

 used throughout the whole year as a legumen, 

 and, being impatient of frost, a supply is kept up 

 during winter and spring by growing them in 

 hothouses. As an article of vegetable food, they 

 are considered exceedingly wholesome, and much 

 less flatulent than vegetables usually are. The 

 ripe seeds are much used on the Continent in 

 cooking under the name of haricots, which, as 

 dishes, are as numerous as curries in Calcutta. 

 For this purpose, the ripe seeds are steeped a 

 few hours in water, which swells them out, and 

 causes the outer skin to separate freely from the 

 seed. In this state they are nutritious, when 

 simply boiled, and served up to be eaten with 

 other meats, but much less palatable than when 

 they have passed through the hands of a skilful 

 cook. Haricots are much in use in Roman 

 Catholic countries, forming the greater part of 

 the food of the people during Lent. The 

 ripened seeds also enter into a variety of soups 

 and stews. As an article of domestic economy, 

 they are by far too little attended to ; their pro- 

 duce is large ; their cultivation during summer 

 simple, and, in their green state, few vegetables 

 are easier cooked. According to the analysis of 

 Einhoff, 3840 parts of kidney bean afforded 1805 

 parts of matter analogous to starch, 857 of vegeto- 

 animal matter, and 779 parts of mucilage — clearly 

 showing that it is the most nutritious of all 

 legumens. 



Propagation. — The whole of the dwarf 

 varieties — that is, of Phaseolus vulgaris — 



