Ready for Market. 



— The Sion House Bean. 



BEANS UNDEIi GLASS. 



NLESS an abundance of heat and 

 light can be given, it is use- 

 less to attempt to force 

 beans. Under favorable 

 conditions, however, there 

 is no more satisfactory veg- 

 etable for forcing. 



A house suited for cu- 

 cumber culture Vould serve admirably for beans. 

 (For cut of such a house, see The American Gar- 

 den for September, 1890, p. 542). A special struc- 

 ture, however, is not necessary, as by means of 

 temporary staging the plants may be placed near 

 the glass in any house. Indeed, one of the most 

 satisfactory crops I ever saw was grown in a pit. 

 The pit, however, was on the south side of a forc- 

 ing house and was heated by hot water, while pro- 

 vision was made for good ventilation. 



One thing absolutely essential in a house is good 

 bottom heat. In our houses at the present time are 

 Sion House beans, which have been on the bench nine 

 weeks and are just in full bloom. Owing to alterations 

 in the piping, there was no bottom heat under this bench 

 during the first three weeks. On another bench in the 

 same house, which had bottom heat from the first, the 

 crop has been removed and a second crop started. Here 

 would seem to be a difficulty in building stagings in high 

 houses, but with steam or the modern hot-water system, 

 the heat may be carried to any desired point. 



The seeds may be planted in 3-inch pots, in rich, 

 loose soil. Place two or three seeds in each pot. When 

 the pot is well filled with roots, transplant to the fruit- 

 ing beds, using care not to disturb the roots in handling. 

 If preferred, the first plants may be started where they 

 are to remain. If convenient to use an open bed, as for 

 cucumbers or lettuce, set the plants in rows ten inches 

 aoart, and about six inches apart in the rows. If grown 

 as a temporary crop, a good plan is to use boxes, about 



eight inches wide and six inches deep, of any desired 

 length. By alternating the plants, two rows may be 

 placed in each box, and the boxes may be placed on any 

 temporary staging. The English sometimes use 8-inch 

 pots, placing the plants from three of the small pots in 

 each. As a rule, however, I regard the bed or the nar- 

 row boxes as preferable. 



The soil on the bench or in the boxes should be very 

 rich — about in the proportion of two parts garden loam 

 to one part well-rotted manure. Provide for thorough 

 drainage by placing about an inch of broken crockery or 

 "clinkers" from the furnace on the table first. Then 

 put on a layer of partially decayed sods, after which fill 

 " to the depth of six inches with soil, as above indicated. 

 We are so pleased with this method of preparing the 

 benches that we have used it in all our houses this year. 



Attend carefully to the details of watering, and the 

 genera) care of the house. The atmosphere should be 

 kept warm and moist. Maintain a night temperature of 

 60° to 65°. Keep the beds thoroughly moist, but not 

 saturated. The extent of leaf surface is so large that 

 the evaporation is great ; hence it is well to sprinkle the 

 walks daily in bright weather. This plan will not only 

 arrest excessive evaporation, but will aid in holding the 

 "red spider" in subjection. As soon as the blossoms 

 begin to open, which will be in five or six weeks after 

 the seed is planted, apply liquid manure once a week. 

 This will cause rapid growth, and the pods will be more 

 tender. 



From two to three weeks are required for the develop- 

 ment of the pods after blossoming. In other words, the 

 crop will be ready for the table in about eight weeks 

 from the time the seed is planted. If a succession is 

 desired, start more plants every three weeks. 



In preparing the product for the market, the pods are 

 tied in compact bunches of fifty pods each, care being 

 taken to have the pods as nearly as possible of uniform 

 size, and with the stem ends all in the same direction 

 (see cut). Neatness and honesty are as important here 

 as in all other operations. The pods should be placed 



