BEAN CULTURE IN WESTERN NEW YORK. 
How the Crop is Grown and Harvested. 
The importance of the bean crop to the farmers of 
New York State, is readily seen when we consider the 
fact that about one-half of the beans grown in the 
United States are raised in this State. Monroe is the 
banner county, with a yield of more than 300,000 
bushels. It is said that Brockport is the greatest 
local bean market in the world. The counties which 
adjoin Monroe, Orleans, Genesee, Livingston, Ontario 
and Wayne, with Niagara and Yates, grow by far the 
larger portion of the crop of the State. I am told 
that in Monroe and adjoining counties, the Marrow 
and White Kidney are the favorite varieties ; but here 
in “ Little Yates” the Red Kidney is the favorite, for 
the reason that the yield is equal to, or greater than, 
the whites, and the bean is less liable to become 
stained in bad weather at harvest time, and so become 
unsalable. 
Some farmers now grow beans instead of barley, in 
their four-year rotation of corn, barley, wheat and 
clover. I plant on 
better if the last time the beans are worked, the hillers 
are on the cultivator and a slight ridge, say, two or 
three inches high and four wide, is made under 
the row. 
The seed should be selected with great care, reject¬ 
ing all spotted, wrinkled or blistered beans. Experi¬ 
ments by the horticulturist at the Geneva Experiment 
Station show that more can be done in combating 
anthracnose, blight and rust, by careful seed selection 
than by striving to prevent the development of disease 
after the plants are up. This is what Prof. Beach 
means by careful selection. Speaking of the yield 
from one of their experiment plots planted with 
diseased seed, he said, “ Ninety per cent of the entire 
yield were marketable, but only one per cent was fit 
for seed.” Prof. Beach recommends spraying the 
plants as soon as they are all up with weak Bordeaux 
Mixture, composed of four pounds of copper sulphate, 
three pounds of lime, and soap enough to make a 
suds, to 50 or 60 gallons of water. Spray again in two 
weeks, and again three weeks after the second spraying 
lu Red Kidneys, all sports or running vines, should 
machines for thrashing beans, but there is none in 
this vicinity. Any one knowing of a successful 
thrasher, will confer a favor on numerous growers by 
describing it in The It. N.-Y. e. c. gillett. 
SHORT BEAN NOTES. 
Almost any good soil, except, perhaps, a muck, will 
give good results. I prefer a loam, not too heavy or 
with too much sand, a heavy clover or Timothy sod 
plowed early and worked a few weeks before plant¬ 
ing. Unless manure be finely rotted, I would not con¬ 
sider it advisable to use it. The best general market 
bean is the Pea, although in some localities, the Mar¬ 
row, Kidney, and other large varieties do well. Beans 
should be planted from June 1 to 10, and cultivated 
shallow as often as possible. The Planet Jr. is one of 
the best cultivators. They should be harvested as 
soon as the pods are turned yellow, before they are 
dead ripe, to avoid shelling. There are sevex-al good 
two-horse hai'vesters made. Among the best of which 
are Miller’s and Bidwell’s. Planters are also made by 
the same firms. I 
clover sod, or after 
corn or potatoes. 
Plow early, har- 
row and roll, thus 
holding the moist- 'Cn 
ure which is often 
conspicuous by its / A 
absence if plowing / / j||l|sSSyS 
is delayed till just ' 
before planting / ■« r 
time, which with * \\ ; hHB***^ 
us, is from June 1 V A 
to 20. I harrow as V- H /y 
often as the weeds V\/ 
start, thus sprout- ( .. A / 
ing and killing /,'////I/hi 
most of the weed- //.llflljr 
seeds before plant- 'll 1 1- It m 
ing. Iharrow | 111 V\ 
thoroughly and A t Jf S 
roll just before 
putting in the s -3) iSKfir 5 * | 
seed, which is best 1 
done with an 11- ^ 
tooth grain drill, ' fgSr 
which will plant 
three rows at once, «Jj\ ,i lM 
28 inches apart ; Ai-iuggSEg® 
the wheel can re- ** 
turn in the wheel- STOP YOUR TARIF1 
mark. Avoid Total Customs Revenue for 1894, $1 
planting too deep; 
have the seed just covered, and if it is all covered, 
and the soil is damp or wet, do not roll, for I have 
known a slight crust, formed by rolling, to prevent 
some of the young plants from breaking through, 
thus making an uneven stand. 
I work with a one-horse cultivator, with narrow 
teeth, as often as is necessary to keep down all weeds, 
and keep the surface mellow. I avoid cultivation 
when the dew is on, and just after a rain. The old 
idea that beans must not be cultivated when in blos¬ 
som, or after the pods are set, I am inclined, by my 
experience and observation of 10 years, to believe is a 
fallacy. Hoeing beans when in full blossom I would 
avoid, for some of the blossoms would probably be 
knocked off ; but if the soil were becoming hard, or 
weeds were starting, I would use the cultivator with 
care. I am convinced that I lost several bushels per 
acre last season, by not cultivating during the severe 
drought which occurred just as the pods were filling ; 
pods which were long enough for six or eight beans 
had only from two to five. I give shallow and level 
culture, unless a harvester is to be used, which works 
■ ** 
W" ,«v 
Howell, Mich. 
I woul( i select 
ilvMl y I'x high, sandy, 
gravelly soil for 
Marrows; rich 
iEEEjZ bottom lands for 
T# Red Kidneys; I 
would use Peas 
and Mediums on 
limestone land or 
any lands that 
are liable to be 
affected badly by 
?W. 102. See page 333. drought. Barn- 
States in 1894, 1,148,153,555 Gallons 1 yard manure 
should be applied 
in the fall or early in spring, evenly spread, 10 to 15, 
two-horse wagon-loads to the acre. Clover or Timothy 
sod is the best. The land should be plowed as early 
as possible in the spring, should be harrowed fre¬ 
quently so as to make a fine and solid seed bed, and 
planted from May 28 to June 10, in drills 28 inches 
apart. Of Marrows, about one bushel per acre ; Red 
Kidneys, about five pecks per acre ; Peas or Mediums, 
three pecks are sufficient. As soon as the plants are 
large enough to follow the rows, cultivation should 
commence. The oftener and more faithfully this work 
is done, the better the crop. Weeds must be kept out, 
if it has to be done by hand. There are a variety of 
tools suitable for this work. A small, spring-tooth 
cultivator drawn by one horse, is a first-rate tool 
while the plant is small; later the Planet Jr. cultivator 
is as good as any. The best harvester is a machine 
made by the F. W. Miller Mfg. Co., Caledonia, N. Y. 
It is not practical to raise beans to any extent without 
the best of tools. Beans should be harvested before the 
pods are entirely dry, as soon as all pods are yellow. 
North Sparta, N. Y. g. s. e. 
•r i 
believe that the 
best results are 
obtained by using 
an ordinary hand 
corn planter, and 
rowing both ways. 
Few beans are 
harvested by hand 
now, as it is a tedi¬ 
ous,back-breaking 
business. But with 
a good machine, 
they can be gotten 
up as easily as a 
crop of wheat. 
STOP YOUR TARIFF QUARREL, FARMERS, AND LOOK BEHIND YOU ! Fig. 102. See page 333. 
Total Customs Revenue for 1894, $129,558,892 ! Total Consumption of Intoxicating Liquors in the United States in 1894, 1,148,153,555 Gallons ! 
red, and if it is all covered, be pulled when cultivating or hoeing. Some large in the fall or early in spring 
wet, do not roll, for I have growers here, find that a commercial fertilizer rich in two-horse wagon-loads to the 
orrned by rolling, to prevent phosphoric acid and potash, pays, largely increasing sod is the best. The land si 
nts from breaking through, the size of the bean as well as the number of beans in as possible in the spring, si 
the pod. A clover sod or corn stubble that was covered quently so as to make a fine 
tse cultivator, with narrow with stable manure the previous year, will need no planted from May 28 to Jue 
>sary to keep down all weeds, nitrogen, but on poor land a little nitrogen would apart. Of Marrows, about o 
aellow. I avoid cultivation help the growth of the vine. Stable manure will Kidneys, about five pecks per 
d just after a rain. The old make a good crop of Red Kidneys, but will not of three pecks are sufficient. A 
be cultivated when in bios- white beans. It causes too much growth of vine, and large enough to follow the 
re set, I am inclined, by my they will not fill well. Red Kidneys will yield from commence. The oftener and r 
3n of 10 years, to believe is a 8 to 30 bushels per acre, according to soil, season, care is done, the better the crop, 
hen in full blossom I would and fertilizer. I have touched both of the extremes, if it has to be done by hand 
dossoms would probably be but an average yield is about 20 bushels. tools suitable for this work 
soil were becoming hard, or The best method of harvesting the crop is with a cultivator drawn by one h< 
auld use the cultivator with two-horse harvester, which cuts off just below the while the plant is small; latei 
at I lost several bushels per surface, two rows at once ; 8 to 10 acres per day can is as good as any. The bes 
ultivating during the severe be harvested with it. I shake out any dirt which may made by the F. W. Miller M 
ust as the pods were filling ; adhere to the roots, with a fork, and throw three rows It is not practical to raise bea 
>ugh for six or eight beans together. Some bunch them with a horserake, fol- the best of tools. Beans shoul 
. I give shallow and level lowing immediately after the harvester. Let them pods are entirely dry, as sooi 
r is to be used, which works dry a few days, and thrash with horses. I hear of North Sparta, N. Y, 
