THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
211 
j January 1. 
work; however, 7-inch pots will do, and we have even 
known very good first crops in 5-inch pots; but it must 
be remembered, that there does not at that early period 
exist so great a demand on the soil, the perspiratory 
action of the foliage being small compared with that of 
a later period. 
The best soil, perhaps, is a compost of one-half well- 
chopped mellow loam, the turfy material well decom¬ 
posed, and the other half old hotbed manure, which had 
originally been composed of manure and leaves, but 
which has been broken well down with age. These 
materials must be chopped very fine when in a dry state, 
and about an eighth of gritty charcoal added to, and 
j well blended with, the mass, mixing the whole most 
thoroughly—but no sifting. As spring advances, the 
proportion of the loam should be increased, or a still 
more adhesive kind used, as the soil will dry quicker; 
and although they are much averse to a wet soil, they 
are equally averse to one that is dry. 
The pot must be well drained—no stagnation may be 
permitted by any means. We use a mixture for this 
; purpose composed of equal parts of old tan and char¬ 
coal. These are in lumps averaging in size a large 
horse bean. We keep a large heap of this in the potting- 
slied, and use it for “bottoming” to most soft-wooded 
short-lived things, it is riddled perfectly clean when 
very dry; and no dust permitted to remain in it. 
After placing two or three coarse crocks over the hole 
of the pot, a layer of this may be spread two inches 
thick, and this again covered thinly with half-rotten 
strawy manure in a mellow' state — such as falls dur¬ 
ing summer from decaying linings. This, too, we al¬ 
ways keep in the dry for general purposes, as we find 
it to act well on the surface of the charcoal drainage. 
Now, the pots may be half-filled with the coarser por¬ 
tions of the material, and four beans, good and true, 
placed at right angles. Many practitioners use six, but 
we really cannot see of what use it is cramming so many 
in so narrow a compass. To be sure, some will fail; 
but then it is very easy to sow a reserve pan or box 
with a few at the same time, in order to make good by 
transplanting any blanks that may occur. indeed, 
many growers raise most of their crops by the trans¬ 
planting system, for which they find a double reason. 
In the first place, economy of room is no trilling object; 
not every nobleman or gentleman’s garden has “ a place 
for everything.” Many, therefore, are driven to un¬ 
worthy compromises, and the forcing of Kidney Beans is 
one case in point. 
House-room, therefore, being scarce at an early period, 
the bean transplanters sow in boxes; one box, or at 
most a couple, being enough for most establishments at 
one sowing. The beans are sown rather thickly, yet 
no two touch; and this done, they are poked into any 
comer where a little artificial warmth may be had—say 
50° to ()0°—and here light is not essential; indeed, most 
seeds, during their germination, are exeeedingly averse 
! to it. As soon as the cotyledons are fairly developed 
! above the soil, from that moment light is indispensable, 
| or the necessary consequence is that the beans become 
“ leggy,” and, by consequence, unwieldly ; need we add, 
hard to manage and unprofitable. 
The beans being fairly up, and inured to light, trans¬ 
planting must be speedily thought of; for it is rather 
taking a liberty witli the constitution of the bean to 
transplant at all. The pots may be prepared precisely 
as for the beans when planted to remain; but it is 
, well to use a little more of that kind of soil termed 
i humus, or, in other words, that dark manurial residue 
j which is found at the bottom of most heaps of decaying 
I vegetable matter, the wood pile, &c.; such, when very 
■ olcl, is a rapid promoter of quick rooting, a most desir- 
! able point with things of such ephemeral character as 
j the kidney bean. 
Transplanted beans require but a moderate quantity 
of water until the pots become nearly filled with roots; 
if the soil is rather moist when they are transplanted, 
frequent syringing, which they are very partial to, will 
almost sustain them. In about a fortnight after plant¬ 
ing they will require the same treatment as those which 
have not been transplanted. 
Topping .—This consists in pinching out the central 
shoot as soon as the cotyledons are fully developed, and 
is intended to make them bear a fuller crop, and to 
render them more compact and manageable. The first 
it does by giving more time, the plant thereby securing 
to itself more roots against the bearing period; and for 
the second, some kinds, under some circumstances, are 
apt to ramble like the Runners, some of the speckled 
kinds especially. Nevertheless, it must be supposed 
that this stopping somewhat retards the crop, and should 
I not be resorted to when time is precious. 
The pots not having been filled with soil at planting 
| time, there will be room for the application of top- 
dressings, which are of much service, by encouraging a 
fresh tier of fibres at the most critical time—the fruiting. 
The best time to apply this, in our opinion, is just 
before they begin to blossom; for as soon as the latter 
fairly commences, new fibres are not so readily made, 
the accretive matter being in great demand for carrying 
on the fruit-forming process. The top-dressing should 
be very rich—say three parts of rich decomposed manure, 
and one part of crumbling strong loam, adding, in all 
cases, a little charcoal grit or sand. The dressing should 
I be in a mellow state, well mixed, and pressed down 
rather close, leaving about one inch below the pot rim 
for watering. When the beans begin to swell their pods 
they may probably become top-heavy, and in such cases 
a little staking becomes necessary. Most gardeners 
save their apple or currant primings for this purpose, 
and the best way is to slip one in to each plant, giving 
it a tie round the main stem. Care must be taken to 
point the sticks smoothly, or they will tear the root-fibres, 
and it is advisable to stake them when they are wanting 
water, and to give them a soaking of liquid manure 
immediately after, as a compensation, to prevent the 
plant “ fretting; ” for checks of all kinds must be stu¬ 
diously avoided. 
Watering. — When the seeds are first planted, no 
water will be requisite until the beans are breaking the 
soil, and then but moderately. We scarcely ever knew 
beans watered before they came up but some rotted; 
therefore, it is advisable to use moist soil, and to place 
them somewhere, until above ground, where they will 
not be liable to sudden droughts. The waterings must 
increase in quantity progressively as the plants advance, 
and when in full bearing they will require very liberal 
supplies. Tepid water, of course, at all times; and as 
soon as they show blossom, our practice is to commence 
applications of liquid manure, and this we apply every 
watering, clear and weak. This benefits them much, 
and enables them to blossom in long succession, as also 
to produce tender pods. 
Heat .—As might be expected, on a consideration of 
the character of its native clime—the warmer parts of 
South America—a bottom-heat is very desirable. They 
are, however, grown in high perfection without. As 
to atmospheric warmth, no one need think of forcing 
them who cannot command a temperature of 55° to 00°, 
in defiance of the most intense frost. Exist they may. 
under very low temperatures, but if they are to become 
profitable they must be warm. 
They luxuriate in a temperature of 65° to 80° by day, 
such being regulated entirely by the degree of light they 
receive; whilst at night, the thermometer should not 
descend below 55°. A liberal and constant amount of 
atmospheric moisture must be sustained, and a motion 
maintained in the atmosphere by a systematic course of 
