480 
Cultivation of Beans and Peas. 
found best for such land as is unsuitable for " roots " is tl)us : 
1st. Beans dunged ; 2nd. Barley or Oats with Seeds ; 3rd. 
Seeds, one or two years, according to circumstances ; 4th. Wheat. 
This rotation may be turned into a fifth or sixth course by two 
years' seeds, and alternating oats for barley in the second 
course. This rotation permits of the land being kept clean and 
in about the same state of condition for every crop. The wheat 
and bean crops require to be drilled and thoroughly hoed, which 
leaves the land clean for barley with seeds, to be broken up 
for a wheat crop again. On land of medium texture, suitable 
for " roots," I prefer a pulse crop only every second course, as a 
substitute for roots. In such cases the object is to curtail the 
extent of green crops, and thereby save manure ; therefore the 
pulse has no manure in such instances, but follows wheat, oats, 
or barley. I take it for granted that every one now knows the 
value of draining so well that there is no necessity for dwelling 
on this subject ; nor would I have described these different rota- 
tions but for being able to shoto the reasons which should guide 
one in the cultivation of beans and peas. My experience in the 
growth of winter and spring beans has led me to the conclusion, 
that on an average of seasons the one kind is of as much value 
as the other, so far as the probable yield is concerned. The 
first year I grew winter beans on a gravelly loam, they turned 
out 52 bushels per acre over the entire field. The straw was 
then only 2 feet high. The following year winter beans sown 
on a heavy clay soil in good condition turned out but 36 bushels 
per acre. Every subsequent year I have had less and less success. 
The past was the worst of all from blight. Spring beans here 
turned out as variously as winter beans, not only in my own 
case, but according to what I have seen and learned of the crops 
generally. I think, therefore, that winter beans should be sown 
when the state of other kinds of labour on the farm will most 
easily permit of it ; that is, when the state of labour and the 
condition of the land are suitable. On the other hand, I 
would not interfere with wheat sowing, &c., for the purpose of 
sowing winter instead of spring beans. Winter beans should 
never be sown on land unless strictly clean, or nearly so, as the 
early ploughing in autumn assists the spread of couch, &c., 
much more than if ploughed for spring beans at a later period. 
All land intended for pulse should be ploughed as early in 
autumn as possible, the heaviest soils first, and when in the 
driest condition. Where beans follow a white crop regularly 
every rotation, the manure of the farm should be applied to the 
stubble for beans during the winter instead of the spring. The 
dung can in all ordinary winters be carted upon the field before 
the stubble is ploughed up, without doing injury to the land, 
