154 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[Mat, 
Some Varieties of White Beans. 
The knowledge of beans is generally supposed 
to be so easily acquired that it has passed 
into a proverb that one who does not “ know 
beans” must be of limited capacity. The 
trouble experienced in procuring reliable speci¬ 
mens of the leading field varieties has convinced 
us that it takes some lalior even to properly 
“know beans.” Beans not only difter in size 
and productiveness, but there is also a difiference 
in the quality and the rapidity with ■which they 
mature, the latter often an important considera¬ 
tion in cold climates. The engraving gives the 
four kinds sold in the New York market, and 
shows their natural as well as their relative size. 
The White Kidney, fig. 1, is larger than the oth¬ 
ers, being about three fourths of an inch long, 
and kidney shaped. It is a good variety to use 
green or dry. Next in size is the White Mar¬ 
row, also called Dwarf White Cranberry, and 
White Marrowfat, fig. 2. It is of a pure white, 
and of a very regular rounded egg-shape. This 
is a valuable kind for the garden as well as for 
field culture. Another variety known in this 
market as the Dumpling, is highly prized for 
the excellent quality of the beans. As 'we do 
not find it described in any of the standard 
works, it is probably a local name. The Pea- 
bean, fig. 4, is the smallest of the maiket varie¬ 
ties and is by many considered the best bean 
for cooking. The seeds, though white, are des¬ 
titute of the glossy surfiice possessed by the 
above mentioned sorts. In New England a va¬ 
riety c.alled the Blue Pod, is extensively grown, 
but it is not to be found among our seed dealers. 
Its chief merit is its earliuess, it maturing a 
week or ten days sooner than those we have 
figured. In quality it is considered inferior to 
any of the varieties above mentioned. Colored 
beans do not find a ready sale in the market. 
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Training the Tomato. 
In cultivating the tomato in large market gar¬ 
dens, the plants are usually pinched before their 
final transplanting, and they are then left to 
grow without any support; but in small gar¬ 
dens, not only is greater neatness observed by 
taking some pains to train the plants, but the 
fruit is improved both in quantity and quality. 
There are several methods of training. One 
which, if not altogether the simplest, is one of 
tlie neatest, is described by Mr. G. M. Childs, 
of Hancock Co., Ill. “ As soon as the plants 
are large enough, transplant to rich, light soil, 
one in a bill, and at least five feet apart each 
way. At least once a week, scoop the earth 
away from around the plant and pour on a 
quart or more of soap suds. When the plant 
commences to branch, cut off the outer branch¬ 
es ; this will have a tendency to increase the 
size of the stock and cause it to grow bushy. 
After the plants are 16 or 18 inches high, they 
should be provided with frames. I make mine 
by splitting standards from pine boards, 5i feet 
long, and sharpen their lower ends. To these 
standards are nailed slats made by sawing 4 feet 
laths into three pieces. The frames are made 16 
inches square, nailing the lower slats at 15 inch¬ 
es from the bottom of the standards, the upper 
ones at the top, •wdth others mid way between 
the two. Frames made in this way have been 
in use five years, and with a little repairing will 
last some years longer. When the branches ex¬ 
tend be 3 ’'ond the slats and over the top of the 
frame, clip them, leaving one leaf above the 
fruit stems, and continue to do this throughout 
the season. The plant trained thus and show¬ 
ing its ripe and ripening fruit, forms a most 
beautiful object, and one tomato grown in this 
way is ■worth a dozen as usually cultivated. 
Last year I had 21 plants, from which I gathered 
an abundance of fruit for table use and canning, 
for a family of five persons, besides distributing 
from five to six bushels among my friends. No 
one need to be afraid of using the knife freely, 
as there is no danger that the plant will not 
fruit abundantly; in mv' experience the difficul¬ 
ty has been to keep it from fruiting too much.” 
Cultivating S'weet Potatoes. 
The many inquiries concerning the culture of 
the Sweet Potato shows that there is an increas¬ 
ing interest in this crop. There seems to be no 
doubt that in favorable seasons, with proper cul¬ 
ture, a good crop may be growm as firr north as 
Wisconsin. The land should be warm and 
light, and a plenty of manure supplied. In last 
month’s basket and calendar, directions were 
given for starting the plants. Those who have 
no seed potatoes from which to obtain plants 
may procure them from persons in N. Y. State, 
Ohio, and else^udiere, who raise them in large 
quantities. Tlie plants will go a long distance 
by express without injury. There are two ways 
of planting: in rows and in hills. The ground 
being in good condition, mark it off in three 
feet rows and spread a good dressing of manure 
along the marks; then form ridges by turning 
two furrows together over the manure. The 
ridges should be 10 inches high, a foot ■wide, and 
3 or 4 inches wide at top. Set the plants 16 
inches apart in the ridges. In planting in hills 
the following directions are by J. W. C., whose 
method of starting the plants was given in last 
month’s basket. The manure, about 12 loads 
to the acre, is turned over two or three times 
before using, ■w'orking in good soil so that at the 
final turning the manure will be about one 
third soil. The ground is plowed and harrowed 
and marked out 2h feet each way. About two 
quarts of manure are put at the crossings of 
the marks, and a half hill formed with the hoe. 
He prefers to delay finishing the hill until just 
at the time of setting the plants, as they then 
have the benefit of freshly stirred earth. The 
plants are set from Slay 10th to June 20th, ac¬ 
cording to the season. After the plants are 
set, the ground is kept clean by the horse and 
hand hoe. In setting the plants in hills or on 
ridges, they should be put in with a dibble or 
trowel, and if the soil is at all dry, the holes 
should be filled with water before putting in the 
plants. Set them as deep as the first leaf and 
press the soil firmly around the roots.—Sir. li. 
S. Smith, Ashtabula Co., O., applies well rotted 
manure and ashes, harrowing-in in autumn, and 
lets the land lie until ready to transplant, when 
he turns up the ridges as before described but 
■without manuring bene.ath them. His rows are 
dh feet apart, and the plants are set 12 inches 
distant in the rows. He makes holes an inch 
in diameter, and 4 inches deep, fills the hole 
with water and makes a mud around the plant, 
but never presses the earth against it.—Mr. E. 
Latham, of Long Island, recommends cutting 
off the vines when thej' have reached the length 
of 2 feet, and says he gets a good crop. This 
practice is condemned by others, and our expe¬ 
rience has been that the most luxuriant vines 
yield the largest potatoes and the most of them. 
A bushel of seed w'ill produce from 3,000 to 
5,000 sets, and an acre requires 6,000 to 12,000 
plants, according to the manner of planting. 
Herbaceous Grafting. 
In ordinary grafting w’e use cions of ripe 
tvood, of the previous year’s growth, in a dor¬ 
mant condition, which are inserted in a stock of 
one or several years’ growth, and make the union, 
either when both stock and graft are dormant, 
or when the growing process in the stock has 
already commenced. In herbaceous grafting, 
both stock and graft are not only in the gro^wing 
state, but they are both of the present season. 
Ordinary grafting is not successful when prac¬ 
tised upon Chestnuts, Hickories, and other hard- 
wooded forest trees, and as herbaceous grafting 
is followed in Europe in propagating these, ■wc 
give Du Breuil’s description of the process, in 
order that those w'ho wish to experiment with 
it, may practise it. For the stock, the shoot from 
a terminal bud is selected, before the ■Rmod has 
become much hardened. This is cut off just 
below the third or fourth leaf, according to the 
strength of the shoot. The cut to receive the 
cion is made as shown in the figure, at the base 
of the leaf A. If, as is often the case, there are 
three buds or eyes at the base of the leaf, the 
cut is made between the central bud and one of 
the lateral ones. The cion B, is cut from a 
shoot of the same size as the stock; it is in fact, 
a bud with a large quantity of wood and bark 
attached, rather than a cion. It bears a leaf, 
C, with a good eye or bud at its base. The cut 
surface of this graft is carefully applied against 
the cut surface of the stock, tied with a woolen 
thread, and shaded from the sun bj' a paper 
shield. Five daj'S after the operation, the cen¬ 
tral bud at the base of the leaf A, is rubbed out, 
and five days after this, the blades of the two 
leaves below the graft are cut away, leaving 
onl}’’ their mid ribs, and at the same time the 
buds at their axils are removed. If other buds 
appear at the bases of these leaves, they are to 
be removed, and at twenty days after the graft 
is inserted, the blade of the leaf A, is cut away. 
The graft will commence to grow about the 30th 
