LEGUMINOUS PLANTS. — THE KIDNEY BEAN. 



75 



for it may be usefully stated that it is the best 

 both for early and late sowing. It is dwarf, 

 and may be sown in pots before the open 

 ground has acquired sufficient warmth ; and if 

 planted out when this is the case, it soon comes 

 into bearing. Again, late in summer, when 

 later sorts would not even blossom, if then 

 sown, the sort in question would produce a 

 good crop, that will keep in gathering condition 

 till cut off by frost. This and the Newington 

 wonder are considered the best varieties of 

 dwarf kidney beans." 



7. Dwarf speckled China. — An early dwarf 

 variety, and abundant bearer, well suited for 

 forcing. Pods smallish, uniform in size. Beans, 

 when ripe, of a clear sulphur colour. Known 

 also as early dwarf pink-spotted : why called 

 pink-spotted, it is difficult to comprehend. 

 Eobin's egg, dwarf robin's egg (from the small 

 size of the bean), dwarf China, early China. It 

 is the haricot de la Chine of the French. 



8. Dwarf negro. — A popular variety ; pods of 

 moderate size, uniform in size and breadth ; 

 exceedingly productive ; dwarf and hardy ; well 

 suited for forcing. Beans, when ripe, quite 

 black. Known as early negro, early black. It 

 is the nain noir or negro of the French. 



The dwarf negro is the favourite in the London 

 market, on account of their being all green, and 

 not marked or blotched, like some others. 

 They are also all one breadth, very narrow and 

 handsome ; and they are very dwarf, and first- 

 rate bearers. 



9. Long-podded negro. — A new variety of the 

 last, vastly superior to it ; the pods being often 

 nearly seven inches in length, and of very uni- 

 form breadth : rather a strong grower, and 

 admirably suited for a general crop. 



"These are often sown amongst lettuce, 6 

 feet apart, about the 1st of April; but by far 

 the best plan is to sow in beds thickly, and 

 transplant by means of the dibber. No plant 

 lifts better, and the moving makes them show 

 flower much sooner. The usual practice is to 

 take the heads off the plants, leaving them a 

 foot high, and to keep topping all the summer, 

 which induces them to bear heavy crops. But 

 the way to get them to bear earliest, is to save 

 the roots in autumn, pack them away like 

 dahlia roots, and to transplant them again in 

 March, 6 inches root from root, in rows .5 feet 

 apart. It should be borne in mind, that if 

 beans are left to ripen, the roots will not be 

 near so strong as they otherwise would be." — 

 Cuthill in Market-Gardening around London, 

 p. 24. 



10. Long-podded China, an improvement on 

 No. 7, having pods from 6 to 7 inches long; 

 exceedingly crisp; of uniform size and breadth; 

 very productive ; and, like the last, good for a 

 general crop. 



11. Newington wonder. — Another recently- 

 produced variety, of great excellence as a forcer, 

 being of dwarf habit ; large pods of good shape; 

 does not bear transplanting well. 



The following description of this excellent 

 bean is extracted from the " Journal of the 

 Horticultural Society" (vol. v.) : — " Very dwarf ; 

 about a foot high ; early and productive. The 



pods are moderately long, not very broad ; but 

 having thick fleshy sides, within which the 

 seeds form but slowly ; and the pods remain 

 long crisp ; their colour is dark green. It may 

 be planted in rows 18 inches apart." 



12. Early six-weeks. — A small early bean well 

 suited for forcing. The Mohawk and Victoria 

 speckled are early sorts, and well worth culti- 

 vation. 



13. Sabre. — One of the largest, in point of 

 size of pod, which is used for ordinary purposes, 

 until it attains its full size continuing crisp and 

 tender. In this state it is often cut into slices, 

 and preserved by salting, in which state it will 

 keep for a long time. The beans, in a dried 

 state, are esteemed in haricots. It attains a 

 height of from 2 to 3 feet, and therefore is 

 benefited by being supported by short stakes 

 like dwarf pease. It is a profitable sort where 

 there is plenty of room. 



14. Large running white. — Another tallish- 

 growing sort, cultivated extensively on the Con- 

 tinent for its seeds, which form the large white 

 bean or haricot, so very generally used in dishes 

 of that name. It is seldom cultivated in Bri- 

 tain, nor could it be profitably cultivated for 

 that purpose. It is known in our seed-lists as 

 tender-podded bean, runner, long white, large 

 white sugar, white long pod. It is the sabre 

 a tres grande cosse de Soissons — from Sois- 

 sons, where it is cultivated to great perfection. 



15. Bush haricot. — About 15 inches in height, 

 branching close to the ground, and branching 

 out in succession ; not only continues to produce 

 a long continuation of crop, but, by shading 

 the ground, keeps it moist in dry seasons. 

 Pods 5 inches long, and produced in great 

 abundance ; being crisp, transparent, and excel- 

 lent, comes early into use, and continues long 

 in bearing. The dry seed is speckled red and 

 white. It is the haricot solitaire of the French 

 and Belgians : in both countries it is grown 

 extensively. 



There are many other names met with in seed- 

 lists, such as dwarf Canadian, liver-coloured, 

 early yellow, large pearl, small do., magpie, 

 grey, marbled Prague, round dwarf, &c, which, 

 if not identical with some of the above, are 

 inferior to them in quality. 



Amongst the newer sorts of kidney beans the 

 following deserve notice — not, however, that 

 they will ever supersede the dwarfer kinds 

 already noticed for general crops, yet some of 

 them may be found acceptable, under peculiar 

 circumstances, in private gardens. 



Haricot d* Alger is stated, in the " Bon Jardinier" 

 for 1850, as being excellent and long cultivated 

 in Lorraine. Pods of a palish-green colour, 

 destitute of any tough lining, and exceedingly 

 tender and excellent when cooked. The plants 

 rise to the height of 2 or 3 feet, and therefore 

 require support, but may be dwarfed by early 

 topping. 



Turkische bhone. — It is thus described in the 

 " Bon Jardinier " : — u This variety is perhaps 

 the best of all ; it bears tolerably well; its pods 

 are of an extraordinary length and breadth" 

 (from 12 to 14 inches in length and upwards of 

 an inch in breadth) ; " in a young state they make 



