Vol. LIX. No. 2630 
NEW YORK, JUNE 23, 1900. 
$1 PER YEAR. 
A CHAPTER ON BEANS. 
A GOOD crop; the bean weevil. 
How to Harvest the Beans. 
Referring to the article by Mr. Morse on page 123, 
I wish to confirm what he says with regard to late- 
planted beans being exempt from the ravages of the 
weevil. I have grown field beans in a small way for 
a number of years, my crops for latter years having 
been eight, 15 and 27 bush¬ 
els, and in every case when 
the planting was not done 
too early, and the beans 
were kept from artificial 
heat after harvesting, they 
have been absolutely free 
from weevils. The last point 
is important. I once hap¬ 
pened to store a few bushels 
of beans in an apartment 
adjoining the sitting room, 
and they developed a few 
“bugs,” but when the beans 
have been stored in the barn 
or an outbuilding, no weev¬ 
ils could be found until the 
following Summer. Perhaps 
I should say here that if 
Mr. Morse has found that 
weevils never multiply in 
stored beans during warm 
weather, unless confined, my 
experience does not agree 
with this, as the following 
incident will show: Two 
years ago I placed the beans 
intended for seed in rhe 
attic, in a coarse buidap 
sack, Which was left untied. 
By the last week in June 
they contained a few weev¬ 
ils. There were some beans 
left in the sack after plant¬ 
ing, and in a few weeks they 
were entirely riddled. 1 
now keep my seed beans in¬ 
tact by hanging them in a 
cool, dry cellar at the ap¬ 
proach of warm weather. 
As I have intimated be¬ 
fore, it Is probable that 
there are some eggs depos¬ 
ited even in late^planted 
beans; but cool weather 
prevents their development, 
and I do not think that any 
but the mature beetles can 
withstand the Winter. Per¬ 
haps Prof. Slingetland can 
inform us positively on this 
point. If it be the case, 
then beans that have been 
exposed to cold weather 
could be kept free from the 
pest by storing in a tight 
box. As to the proper time 
of planting, that will depend 
on latitude. Here in southeastern Pennsylvania, 
beans that are planted as early as June 15 or 20, will 
probably escape the weevil; but to be safe, I do not 
usually plant until July 1. Frost need not be feared 
in this locality until the first of October, and as early 
varieties mature in about 75 days, there is ample 
time for full development. I think it would be a 
safe rule in any locality to plant three months before 
the first probable frosts. There seems to be an idea 
that field beans planted late will not be as productive 
as if planted earlier. I do not think this opinion is 
well founded; first, because the plants have blos¬ 
somed and the pods have set before the nights be¬ 
come very cool, and second, we all have observed 
that snap beans produce as well in the Fall, or better, 
than in the Summer, and this is true even of those 
planted so late as to be caught by frost. It would 
be of no value to state the yield per acre of my crops, 
as I generally plant beans as a catch crop, and not 
under best conditions. Considering what a whole¬ 
some, nutritious, and palatable article of food beans 
are, and how easily they can be grown, it is remark¬ 
able how few farmers, out of the bean districts, grow 
a supply for home use, when nearly all might profit¬ 
ably do so with little trouble. The weevil has been 
one bugbear in the way, and many, doubtless, have 
been discouraged by unsuitable varieties. 
The important points in a good variety of beans are 
quality, early maturity, a stout, bushy plant that will 
hold the beans well off the ground, a thick, imper¬ 
vious pod to protect the seeds during wet weather, 
and last, but not least, that all the pods shall ripen 
together. There may be other varieties as good, but 
I am not acquainted with any that combines these 
essential points as well as the variety catalogued by 
seedsmen as Burlingame Medium. With a proper 
variety, and observing the points stated about 
weevils, not only may a home supply of beans be 
easily grown, but on many 
a small farm where mixed 
farming is followed, an acre 
or more might profitably be 
grown for sale, and without 
any expense for special im¬ 
plements. The beans can 
readily be sown in the fur¬ 
row by hand (at the rate of 
one bushel per acre). The 
crop may be thrashed With 
a flail, and cleaned in a fan¬ 
ning mill, by passing the 
beans first through the oat 
sieve and then over the 
wheat sieve, the latter pro¬ 
cess to remove sand and 
grit. The one point likely 
to puzzle a beginner is har¬ 
vesting. The crop should 
stand until most of the pods 
are dry and most of the 
leaves have fallen. Then 
pull the plants and throw 
on small heaps, as may be 
convenient; then gather 
several of these heaps into 
one, placing them on top of 
each other until the heap is 
as high as it will stand the 
wind without toppling over. 
The object is to have the 
heaps narrow, and as little 
of them coming in contact 
with the soil as possible. It 
is an advantage to place 
the heaps on small eleva¬ 
tions that may be found on 
the surface. Heaped in this 
way they will withstand a 
good deal of wet weather 
with little damage. After 
rain, as soon as the tops of 
the heaps are dry, they 
should be turned. In this 
way they should be left in 
the field until thoroughly 
dry, and then gathered on a 
warm, dry afternoon and 
flailed at once. I have found 
beans quite as profitable as 
any other of the farm crops. 
D. L. H. 
New Cumberland, Pa. 
R. N.-Y. — There is no 
doubt about the value of the 
bean crop on the average 
farm. Many grocery stores 
in farming districts do a large trade in selling beans 
by the quart to farmers. This seems to us all wrong. 
The bean crop is easy to grow, and comparatively 
easy to harvest and handle. As to the value of beans 
as a food there can be no doubt about it, especially in 
families where pork, potatoes and cornbread form a 
large proportion of the food. As a “balance” for the 
average farm ration, beans are better and cheaper 
than beef. The cow pea is more easily grown, but 
it has a peculiar flavor not relished by all. 
THE DOUBLE FEVERFEW, PYRETHRUM ROSEUM. Fig. 136. See Ruralisms, Page 434. 
