1863.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
177 
Cultivation of Beans. 
The small crop last year together with the 
great demand for the army and navy, have 
caused beans to bear so high a price that doubt¬ 
less many farmers will be induced to give more 
attention to this crop than formerly. The com¬ 
mon bean has run into a great number of vari¬ 
eties, but the white sorts only are raised for use 
311 the dry state, though some colored ones are 
much richer. The principal varieties grown in 
the large way are the Blue Pod, Marrow, and 
Pea-Bean. The earliest of these is the Blue Pod, 
which is a favorite sort in New England, on 
account of its early maturity and prolific bear¬ 
ing. The Marrow, called also White Mar¬ 
rowfat, is a favorite sort, and by many pre¬ 
ferred to any other for cooking. The Pea- 
bean, also known as the army or ship bean, 
is quite small and rounded, and is the kind 
more largely cultivated. The soil should be 
warm and light, and not too highly manured; 
almost any but a heavy clay soil will answer. 
The planting is best done as soon as danger 
from frost is over, but if put in any time before 
the last week in June, they are pretty sure to 
make a crop. They should be planted in rows 
about 2i feet apart, or sufficiently wdde to allow 
of working with the cultivator. They may be 
planted with the hoe, putting 3 or 4 beans in 
the hill at a foot or fifteen inches apart. There 
are bean drills which do the work expeditiously, 
some of which drop the seed in a continuous 
fine, and others are so contrived as to plant in 
hills. From a bushel to six pecks are used for 
an acre. Though the planting is generally left 
until the press of Spring work is over, it is ad¬ 
visable to get them in as early as possible, both 
on account of having them out of the way of 
early frosts, and to have the land clear for Fall 
crops. Do not let the weeds get the start, but 
hoe as soon as they make their appearance. 
Ground that has been cultivated with beans, is 
in excellent condition for wheat. 
Try a few Roots. 
Were animals competent to advise as to what 
should be grown and stored for their winter 
sustenance, there would be a unanimous request 
for at least a few carrots, turnips, or beets, to be 
fed with the dry hay which must form the 
staple diet. This request should be freely grant¬ 
ed—not merely in kindness to dumb creatures, 
though that is something. It makes a man feel 
pleasant to witness the welcome which attends 
the distribution of an occasional juicy breakfast 
to stock that have been longing for something 
succulent. Variety of food promotes appetite 
and growth as well as pleasure to the animal 
palate. It is also no small help to the hay mow 
and grain room to have a well filled bin of roots 
to draw from. Although a given weight of 
gram will add more pounds of flesh than the 
same amount of roots, yet a larger quantity of 
food per acre can be secured from the latter. 
Fifty bushels of corn is above the average yield; 
with fair cultivation twelve hundred bushels of 
mangel wurzels can be produced, and much 
more by proper manuring and tillage. But 
there is less need than formerly to urge the 
cultivation of root crops, particularly in the 
older settled portions of the country. At the 
far A Vest where corn and hay are almost super¬ 
abundant, these may suffice; but throughout 
the East the benefit of root culture is yearly 
being more highly appreciated. 
There is yet time to put in a winter supply 
of ruta bagas, beets and carrots. White turnips 
are better left until July. Sugar beets and 
mangel wurzels should be planted early the 
present month. Carrots head the list for all 
kinds of stock, including horses; next we pre¬ 
fer beets; the mangel wurzel is most productive. 
All roots need rich, deep mellow soil. It is dis¬ 
couraging to an enterprising beet or carrot to 
plow its own way into a hard subsoil. Strag¬ 
gling roots here and there may find a small cre¬ 
vice in which to burrow, but the crop under 
such circumstances will be stunted and poor. 
A well tilled field occupied by corn the pre¬ 
vious year will usually be a favorable location; 
a good dressing of old manure should be well 
w T orked into the soil. Much labor will be saved 
if the land be free from weeds. The first crop 
of these may be mostly destroyed by plowing 
early, allowing them to spring up, and then 
going over the whole with a cultivator harrow. 
The seed should be put in drills two feet apart 
for mangel wurzels, or ruta bagas, and sixteen 
or eighteen inches for carrots : nothing is gain¬ 
ed by crowding the ground. At the first hoe¬ 
ing, thin the beets to one foot apart, the carrots 
to six inches. About four pounds of beet seed 
or two pounds of carrot seed per acre will be 
required. The after culture will consist in 
keeping the ground clean and loose. Almost 
the whole of it can be performed with the horse- 
hoe. It may not be advisable to commence 
largely at first, but w r e feel assured that those 
who commence with a quarter of an acre by 
way of experiment this year, will increase the 
size of the plot in future, particularly if proper 
attention be given to the first investment. 
- TO « .J gB.—<•--- 
Interesting to Flax Growers. 
It will be remembered that we published in 
the May No. of the Agriculturist , page 140, the 
decision of the committee of the N. Y. State 
Agricultural Society appointed to examine the 
various processes for the improved manipulation 
of flax, with a view to award the appropriation 
offered by the Legislature. It having been 
deemed advisable to retain the appropriation 
for another year, the Executive Committee de¬ 
sire to procure all possible information concern¬ 
ing the progress of flax culture and manufacture 
in this State. To this end they ask for com¬ 
munications from those interested, on the fol¬ 
lowing points, viz.: 1st, The breadth of land 
sown with flax m the year 1863 in each town 
in the State. 2d. The amount of seed sown per 
acre. 3d. The amount of seed and straw raised 
per acre. 4tli. The price received per ton for 
the straw, and for seed per bushel. 5tli. Such 
other information relative to the culture of flax 
as the cultivator may deem essential. 6th. The 
amount of straw purchased by each factory, 
and the price paid for it. 7th. The purpose for 
which it was manufactured, as, for instance, 
paper stock, upholsterers’ purposes, or flax 
cotton. 8tli. The invention of any new ma¬ 
chines for dressing flax. Letters containing in¬ 
formation on the above points should be address¬ 
ed to “ Flax Committee, State Agricultural 
Rooms, Albany, N. Y.” Such information will 
greatly facilitate the investigations of the com¬ 
mittee into the important interest committed to 
their care, and will undoubtedly be cheerfully 
imparted by those of our readers in this State 
who are engaged the present year in flax cul¬ 
ture, even though they may have just com¬ 
menced on a small scale. The difficulties and 
observations of beginners are frequently of great 
value. Those just commencing often note points 
which are passed over as unimportant by the 
more experienced cultivator, but which are of 
great weight in determining the essentials to, 
and probabilities of success. 
A New Humbug. 
Most of the Humbugs by which operators 
seek to fill their pockets at the expense of the 
credulous, are old games, which have been so 
frequently exposed, especially in the columns 
of the Agriculturist , that only those who will not 
read are in danger of being taken in by them. 
Only occasionally a new scheme is brought to 
light. Here is one having the merit of some 
originality. A highly patriotic and philanthrop¬ 
ic individual issues circulars announcing that 
* * * * “ The proprietor of one of 
the most valuable and successful, as well as 
popular and indispensable ‘FAMILY REM¬ 
EDIES ’ known in this country, has resolved 
to dispose of and close up his extensive busi¬ 
ness, for the special benefit of our. Sick and 
Wounded Soldiers, and the Widows and Or¬ 
phans of those who have sacrificed their lives, 
and those who may hereafter, for the Preserva¬ 
tion of our Glorious Union ! The entire net pro¬ 
ceeds shall be given to the above named per¬ 
sons, throughout all the Loyal States, and the 
amounts to correspond as nearly as possible to 
the number of troops drawn from each; for 
which purpose lie hereby offers and agrees to 
give the RECIPE with the right to make and 
use the same, to every Family in the United 
States, for the small sum of ONE DOLLAR 
for each family.” 
Extra Inducements are offered: Immedi¬ 
ately upon the close of the Enterprize a grand 
Octavo Volume is to be published, containing 
the names of the Donors in regular order. 
Those wdio give five dollars, shall have their 
names printed in capitals; those giving ten dol¬ 
lars are to appear in capitals, and have a copy 
of the volume splendidly bound; and those who 
are thus patriotic to the amount of a hundred 
dollars, are also to have their Portraits superbly 
engraved in steel for the volume, and receive 
twenty-five proof copies extra ? He who gives 
the largest amount is to have his portrait, lots 
of books and proofs, and his biography printed 
in the volume. A numerously signed certificate 
sets forth that the Manager is a gentleman ol 
umblemished character, possessing superior 
business capacities of the strictest integrity. 
This man’s “ business capacities ” may be ol 
“the strictest integrity,” but we can hardly 
vouch for his personal honor. Happening to 
know one of the parties whose name was ap¬ 
pended, we inquired into the particulars, and 
were informed that the certificates were signed 
in reference to another entirely different enter 
prize, apparently a legitimate one, and that the 
signer considered the present scheme a trans¬ 
parent humbug. How many will be induced to 
swallow pills, or apply a lotion, for the benefit 
of the poor soldiers ? Probably not man}’- read¬ 
ers of the Agriculturist. Those who are disposed 
to help the afflicted in their country’s cause— 
and who are not?—will find abundant opportuni¬ 
ties to do so without sending a dollar to an un¬ 
known adventurer, who appeals to the unwor¬ 
thy motive of vanity, b y promising to exhibit tkeii 
names in print with others who may have been 
similarly duped, and in case they have been 
largely “ sold,” to show their portraits to an 
admiring world. 
A Thistle Puller. —Julius Meyer, Potter 
Co., Pa., eradicates thistles by pulling them out 
by the roots before blossoming. To save the 
