27,6 
VEGETABLE GARDENING 
phate an acre. The Georgia Station secured the highest 
yield of Valentine beans by applying 400 pounds of acid 
phosphate, 100 pounds of nitrate of soda and 100 pounds 
of muriate of potash. Several experiment stations have 
found potash highly beneficial, while phosphoric acid has 
made the best showing in tests made at most institutions. 
Unless the soil requirements are definitely known, the 
only safe course is to apply a complete fertilizer carrying 
a fair percentage of each element. 
Various methods are used in the application of fer- 
tilizers for beans. Drilling or broadcasting after plow- 
ing is the most common plan. Fertilizer is often applied 
along the rows with side distributing machines. Hill 
applications of manure as well as fertilizers are fre- 
quently made for pole beans. 
306. Selection of seeds. — The selection of high-grade 
seeds is significant. When a small quantity is to be 
saved, pods may be chosen from the most vigorous and 
the most productive plants. It is especially important 
to avoid anthracnose by intelligent seed selection (317). 
Nearly all the beans sold for seed purposes by American 
seedsmen are grown in this country. The prices paid 
the growers for seed beans of most dwarf varieties vary 
from $1.30 to $2.50 a bushel. Seedsmen base their con- 
tract prices on a yield of 8 to 12 bushels an acre, while 
much larger yields are often secured (315). Nearly all 
the seed lima beans are grown in California ; prices range 
from $2.75 to $4.00 a bushel. 
307. Planting Field Beans. — Early planting is not 
recommended for any of the varieties of field beans. The 
objections are: (1) There is danger of the seeds rotting 
before germinating; (2) if the plants appear too soon 
frost may catch them; (3) early plantings are more 
likely to rust than later plantings; (4) cold, wet weather 
may stunt the plants, cause an uneven start and conse- 
quently a lack of uniform maturity. It is always better 
