HOME VEGETABLE GARDENING 
GATHERING THE CROP 
TDEAN plants will bear surprisingly large crops if 
“ properly handled and cared for. They will greatly 
reward the diligent gardener for any extra labor and care 
bestowed upon them. Sometimes, in particularly rich 
soil, the plants will be so large that they crowd each 
other in the rows and spread sideways. In such cases, 
drive short, stout stakes, ten feet apart, along the row and 
connect them with strings on both sides of row. "Phis 
will make gathering easier and prevent injury to plants 
while cultivating. 
Gather the pods while quite young, about four or five 
inches long. They are of best quality then, and free 
from fibre. Do not jerk the plants while gathering, but 
sever the stems of pods with finger nails. Gather fre- 
quently— the oftener you pick pods and prevent seeds 
from forming in them, the longer will the plants bear. 
Never pick beans while vines are wet for reasons given 
under “cultivation.” 
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