KITCHEN-GARDEN VEGETABLES. 
403 
The Bush Basil (0. minimum) is smaller and 
rather more hardy than the first. They are 
both raised from seed, which should be sown in 
gentle heat in March, and the young plants 
thinned out to about 3 inches apart. Plenty of 
air and frequent waterings should be given in 
mild weather, transplanting them to the open 
ground in May in a warm border. The larger 
sort may be planted 6 or 8 inches from plant to 
plant, in rows a foot apart, and the smaller one 
5 or 6 inches apart, in rows 9 inches asunder. 
Bean (Vida Faba ).—A hardy annual of ob¬ 
scure origin, but possibly Egyptian; at any rate 
it is known to have been cultivated by the 
ancient Egyptians, and also in Europe in pre¬ 
historic times. It is now largely cultivated in 
most civilized countries, and is popularly known 
as the Broad Bean. 
Soil .—The Bean has a long tapering root, ex¬ 
tending downwards in a perpendicular direction 
to a considerable depth. Shallow soils are there¬ 
fore not well adapted for it. That which is 
most suitable for the main crop is a deep, well- 
drained, rather strong loam; but for the first 
crops a light warm soil should be chosen. It has 
been found by analysis that the Bean contains a 
large amount of nitrogen; hence a soil rich in 
decaying animal or vegetable matter is most 
suitable for them. 
Manures .—As Beans in garden culture are 
gathered young, it is obvious that manure ought 
to be given so as to be serviceable to the plants 
at an early stage of their growth. Lime, marl, 
gypsum, superphosphate of lime, bone-dust, wood- 
ashes, and burned clay will each and all prove 
highly beneficial to Beans on soils that have 
long been under cultivation and manured with 
organic manures. As lime and gypsum require 
a considerable time for solution, they should be 
applied in the autumn, and the other manures 
in spring. Although farm-yard manure may 
in general be the best manure for Beans, yet in 
cases where the ground is already rich in organic 
matter, its application will not be attended with 
such good results as would follow the use of 
lime, potash, magnesia, soda, &c. On the other 
hand, when the soil is deficient in vegetable 
matter, but abounds in mineral substances, the 
application of such will not be so beneficial as 
that of organic manures. 
Seed Sowing .—Beans are generally sown in 
drills, 2|- feet apart and 3 inches deep. The 
seeds should be placed singly, 4 inches apart 
in the drills, and then covered with soil, which 
should be made firm. Many cultivators sow 
the seeds in double drills, 6 inches apart, the 
rows being not less than 3 feet apart; or the 
seeds may be planted with a dibber. 
When the plants are about 6 inches high they 
should be earthed up. When they have formed 
pods on the lower part of the stem, they should 
be topped; this checks the upward growth, and 
causes the pods to swell. This operation is 
likewise beneficial in relieving the plants from 
the destructive ravages of the Aphis fabce, which 
infests the top part more especially. The tops 
when cut off should therefore be buried or 
burned. 
Instead of placing the seeds at equal distances 
in a line, some plant them in patches a foot 
apart, and three or four seeds in each patch. 
In this way, by tying a strip of matting round 
the plants forming each patch, the stems are not 
so liable to be broken by the wind as they are 
when standing in rows, unless supported by 
twine stretched from end to end of the row. 
To obtain an early supply, such sorts as Early 
Longpod or Early Dwarf Prolific should be 
selected, and sown on a warm border in front 
of a south wall or close hedge. A small sowing 
may be made in the end of October or beginning 
of November, and another in December for 
succession. If the winter is mild, the plants 
will require little or no protection; but if likely 
to be sevei-e, a covering of litter or leaves, or a 
mixture of both, should be put between the 
rows to keep the ground from freezing. 
Beans transplant well, and their safety through 
the winter may be ensured by sowing them in 
November or December, in rows from 4 to 6 
inches asunder, in light soil and in a warm 
situation, where they can be easily protected by 
means of frames, straw-screens, mats and hoops, 
or similar contrivances. In protecting, care must 
be taken that the plants do not suffer from want 
of air and light. They will be fit for trans¬ 
planting into a warm border on a mild day in 
February; or the plants could be raised singly 
in small pots early in February, and placed in 
gentle heat to germinate, hardening them off 
before they become root-bound, and planting 
them out on an early and favourable oppor¬ 
tunity. Most cultivators defer making their 
first sowing until early February, and if pos¬ 
sible a warm border is selected. The seeds 
should be planted in rows not more than 2 feet 
asunder, and fully as deep in the soil as they 
were before removal, afterwards drawing a little 
earth to the stems, and topping, as previously 
directed, for the main crop. 
Windsor, Green Windsor, and Long Pod may 
