83o 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
December 19 
boxes, setting them in the open ground about June 1. 
For market purposes, it matters little whether the 
crop comes a few days earlier or later. 12. We plant 
as soon as the ground seems to be warm enough to 
make the seed grow, even though this be early in 
May here. A light frost seldom does any injury to 
Lima tean plants. Our usual time is from May 15 to 
20. Cold, wet weather is what the planter has to 
fear, as it will cause the seed to rot rather than grow. 
13. We just scatter the seed in furrows about two 
inches deep, and we take no particular pains to have 
each seed “eye down.” I do not believe that this is 
so important as often claimed ; yet more experiments 
should be made. In one or two earlier trials, with 
seeds placed in different ways, I could see no differ¬ 
ence in the germination. T. grkinkr. 
Niagara County, N. Y. 
Lima Beans near Philadelphia. 
1. The large, flat beans sell more readily than the 
smaller and thicker ones. The lai'ger the bean, the 
more readily it sells, provided it is not allowed to get 
old enough to become white in color. 2. Quality de¬ 
pends more on the gathering at the proper stage, say 
one-lialf to three-quarters grown ; also a good deal on 
the cooking. The water should be changed once or 
twice while they are being boiled, in order to get the 
best flavor. In large beans, we would prefer the 
large, flat ones, as those of the fat or 
potato type are likely to be dry and 
mealy. The Carolina or Sewee type is 
more delicate than any of the large 
beans. 
3. In our heavy clay soil we prefer 
poles, as the leafage of the dwarfs is 
too dense and compact to admit of a 
free circulation of light and air, so 
that many blooms fail to set pods, and 
the latter frequently mildew during a 
wet spell. In loose, sandy, well-drained 
soil, the bush varieties are fully as 
satisfactory as the pole kinds, and are 
much less trouble to plant and culti¬ 
vate. 4. We would always plant six or 
seven seeds to a pole. We aim to plant 
as early in the spring as possible, and 
some of the plants are liable to be in¬ 
jured by cold weather or cutworms. 
Two or three plants are enough to 
leave when they are well started. 
5. If only one application is to be 
made, we would say two shovelfuls of 
well-rotted manure, covered with four 
to six inches of fine soil in which to 
plant the seed. 6. Fertilizer is not 
better than manure, but frequently 
more available. The bean is a heavy 
feeder, and 1,200 to 1,400 pounds ol a 
complete fertilizer may be used to ad¬ 
vantage per acre. This should be 
drilled in evenly and well mixed with 
the surface soil some little time before 
planting, to prevent any danger of 
burning the young plants during a dry 
spell. We would not use fertilizer on 
a loose, sandy soil. 7. We would pre¬ 
fer to use both, plowing down a good 
coat of long stable manure in the fall, 
and drilling in 800 pounds of complete fertilizer in 
the spring when it is plowed again. 8. We use well- 
rotted manure from the barnyard in the spring, 
which comes from both horse and cow stables, and 
which has been turned over several times. When we 
can get the fall coat turned under early enough, we 
sow rye on it to turn under in the spring, which helps 
greatly to keep the soil loose and porous. When we 
are not able to give this preparation, we depend on 
putting compost in the hills around the poles, which we 
get from the chicken houses and dog runs, gathering 
it daily, storing under cover and sprinkling with land 
plaster as it accumulates. This is well mixed and 
broken up before using, and must be covered with a 
good depth of soil in the hill so that it will not burn 
the young plants. 
9. We have frequently stopped or pinched back the 
vines when they reached the tops of the poles, both 
to encourage earliness and bring on the laterals from 
around the base of the plant; but we have never got 
any noticeable results from this practice over those 
which were left to grow in the natural way. 10. We 
have no data from which to answer this question, but 
usually get about two quarts of shelled beans per day 
from 100 poles in the height of the season. This 
would be a large yield, and is cut down one-half or 
three-quarters during a dry season. 
11. Very great importance, either for home use or 
for market. We would always risk having to replant 
the seed, so as to get them in early. The earliest 
beans sell for 25 and 30 cents per quart, while in the 
height of the season they have retailed as low as eight 
cents, the last two years. Again, in good, rich ground, 
the early ones are just so much clear gain, as the 
vines continue to bear until killed by frost in the fall. 
12. We plant at the same time as field corn, or when 
the oak leaves are about half grown. 
13. Beans, especially the large, flat ones, come up 
more quickly and readily if planted on edge with the 
eye down, as it is then in just the position to grow, 
the eye starting down and making roots and pushing 
upwards the cotyledons or first leaves. If the stem 
has to bend or turn to pull these heavy leaves above 
the surface, it is very likely to become hardened or 
even broken, thus becoming stunted and delaying the 
first quick growth of the plants. Have the soil in as 
loose and fine condition as possible. Push the beans 
down edgewise so that the top of the bean will be 
about one inch under the surface. Then give the sur¬ 
face of the hill a few pats with the palm of the hand 
in order to settle the soil firmly around the seed. 
Seed planted carelessly in coarse, porous soil, is likely 
to rot instead of germinating. 
14. Such training would increase the length of bear¬ 
ing vine, but it is a very poor plan to set short poles. 
Where no poles are to be had which will stand six to 
seven feet above the surface and bear the weight of 
vine erect, without bending over, the best way is to 
set stout posts in a row 20 or more feet apart and six 
to seven feet in height, bracing the end posts strongly. 
FULL POD. 
SIEBERT’S 
EARLY LIMA 
INSIDE VIEW. 
BEAN. F i g . 2 
Then run a telegraph wire along the tops of the posts, 
and train the vines to strings which are secured to 
pegs driven into the soil alongside the plants, and 
tied to the wire above. Many Limas are grown for 
market in this vicinity, the soil being made very rich 
and the plants grown more closely in the rows than 
when grown on poles. The wires are high enough 
for the teams to pass under in some gardens, and by 
heavy manuring, the same ground is used for two or 
three years without removing anything but the vines 
and strings. e. d. darlington. 
Supt. Trial Grounds,Fordhook Farm, Doylestown, Pa. 
The Fat Beans are Best. 
1. A fat bean is preferred because the pod is better 
filled, and the customer gets better value by buying 
them. I could not sell the large-podded varieties 
while the fat ones were to be had. 2. In my opinion, 
the Large White Lima is best in quality. 3. I grow in 
hills 3^x4 feet apart. 4. I plant eight or nine seeds 
to a pole ; this gives a choice of plants. I let four of 
the best grow, and pull out the others. The advan¬ 
tage of good plants more than makes up for the 
wasted seed. 5. If the manure is good and well- 
rotted, I dig in from one-half to one bushel around 
the pole, mixing well with the soil. 6. I do not think 
that fertilizer is better than manure. 7. I always use 
both. 8. Well-rotted stable manure with a little 
superphosphate and a pinch of nitrate of soda to each 
hill. 9. I pinch the laterals and stop the vines when 
I think that the remaining flowers would not have 
time to come to maturity for picking. 10. I grow 250 
poles. I have picked from them 81 bushels of pods, 
of the Large White Lima. With the smaller podded 
varieties, the yield was less, from 70 to 75 bushels. 
11. The man who is first in the market gets a third 
more than the later man, and can get his price until 
the other fellow comes in. Therefore, the early Lima 
bean catches the high price, and is very important, 
indeed. 12. I plant after the cold rain storm, which 
we usually get about May 10, 13. My soil is light 
and sandy. I cover about an inch. In heavier soil I 
would just barely cover the bean ; I am very careful 
to put the eye of the bean down. 14. They maybe 
so trained if the adjoining pole is not already 
crowded; they can also be pinched back and allowed 
to hang a little from the top of the short pole. 
New Rochelle, N. Y. p. flanagan. 
Opinion of Henry A. Dreer. 
1. In this market, fat and flat Lima beans are in 
demand ; the former type represented by Dreer’s, the 
latter by King of the Garden. Siebert’s Early (flat) 
promises to be in demand in 1897. 2. Cornell Bulle¬ 
tin, No. 115, rates Dreer’s as being of highest qual¬ 
ity. 3. On poles, 4% x 3% feet, or 4 x 4 feet, or 4 x 3 
feet. 4. Five ; thin out to three. 5. Run a light fur¬ 
row on each side of the row ; put well-rotted stalfie 
manure in the furrow. 6. No ; fertilizer is not better. 
7. Perhaps so ; but nitrogenous fertilizers are not 
needed. 8. Well-rotted stable ma¬ 
nure—horse or cow. 9. Yes ; say six 
feet, to encourage lateral develop¬ 
ment. 10. Hard to answer; accurate 
records are not at hand. 11. A great 
deal, from the standpoint of profit. 
The market gardeners also need extia 
good, late beans. 12. In the latitude 
of Philadelphia, May 1 to 15 ; earlier 
than May 10, on light soils ; not earlier 
than May 10, on heavy soils. 13. One 
inch, with eye down, always. 14. Yes; 
if time can be spared for the work. 
Philadelphia, Pa. 
A New Jersey Market Gardener Talks 
1. Philadelphia market receives more 
of the flat beans than Dreer’s. Dreer’s 
bring the most money. If they were 
equally plentiful, I do not know 
whether this difference would con¬ 
tinue. 2. There is not much difference 
in quality, provided both are equally 
young. 3. On poles 4 x 3 or 5 x 2% feet. 
4. We plant four to the hill, and trans¬ 
plant to missing places, leaving two to 
each pole. 5. We strike out the rows 
deeply, about eight inches, and set up 
the poles, leaving every fifth row. We 
go along this row with a cart and put 
a small shovelful of manure to each 
pole, and in the vacant row. We then 
set the poles in the vacant rows, and 
cover the manure with a plow. 0 and 
7. We have never tried it. 8. Well- 
rot ted Philadelphia stable manure. 9. 
We have never tried it. 10. About 
1,500 quarts per acre. 11. The first 
beans bring 50 cents per quart, rapidly 
decline to 25 cents, more slowly to 10 
cents, finally to 8, and the past season to 5 and even 
to 3 cents. 12. This depends upon the season. They 
should be planted as early in May or April as it will 
do, to escape rotting the seed. When started under 
sash, they should be planted a month earlier. 13. 
About one inch. When planting by hand, we set the 
eyes down; if covering with a hoe, we are not par¬ 
ticular about it. 14. We carefully tie up the vines 
until they get well up the poles, leaving the short 
ones so that the leaves will catch on the longer poles 
themselves. With labor high and beans selling at 
five to eight cents per quart, it will not pay to spend 
much time either pinching or training them after 
they get up the poles. Charles harry. 
The Whole Story of the Crop. 
Among the most nutritious and, at the same time, 
most delicious of vegetables, stands the Lima bean, 
formerly used only in the green state, but now being 
regularly found in every grocery and country store 
all the year around. The Lima bean has been greatly 
improved and modified in recent years, so much so 
that the gardener who grows for the table directly, 
or the farmer who grows for the dried seed, is called 
upon to revise his former selection of varieties and 
change his methods of culture. 
It is probable that the market prefers the large, flat 
beans like King of the Garden, Salem Improved and 
Large White Lima to the smaller fat varieties like 
Dreer’s Improved and Challenger, particularly because 
the former are larger. The general market has not 
yet learned to discriminate quality in the different 
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