4 
REANS. 
June (0*87 falling in the first eight days), 0-21 in July, and 0-80 in 
August; the total rainfall for twelve weeks ending Sept. 6th, being 
but 1*15 inches.” 
[In my own garden at Dunster Lodge, near Isleworth, the Beans 
did remarkably well. The rainfall was not notably below the average, 
excepting in July, when it only amounted to 0-47 in.—that is, less 
than half an inch fall for the month ; but also the Beans were grown 
on ground that had been dressed with gas-lime in the previous winter. 
The gas-lime had lain exposed for many months, and was applied at a 
rate which might be roughly estimated as somewhat under two tons to 
the acre.— Ed.] 
The following observations of Mr. John W. Crompton, of Rivington, 
Chorley, Lancashire, refer especially to condition of Bean-ground on 
land treated with “ alkali waste,” a waste product thrown out in great 
quantity from alkali works, and nearly allied in chemical composition 
to gas-lime, both one and the other being, when exposed to air for 
some weeks, very similar in their effects to gypsum. 
The following observations are by Mr. Crompton, to which I 
append a footnote regarding the use of gas-lime, as enquiry is often 
made on the subject. Mr. Crompton observed :— 
“ The Beans this year followed Oats, part of the field had been 
dressed with alkali waste two or three years ago, and all of it had been 
dressed with it in the autumn and winter months of 1884-5. It also 
had a spring dressing of gypsum and tobacco-ash, and one or two 
loads of ash-pit manure were spread at one part of the field which had 
been dressed with ‘ waste’ [alkali waste, Ed.] three years ago.” 
The experiment in Bean-culture resulted as follows :— 
“ The old and abundant application of alkali yielded a most 
vigorous and healthy crop ; where the ash-pit manure was put yielded 
a heavier growth of straw, but I do not think was better for it in 
Beans ; the part of the field only recently ‘ alkali-wasted ’ did badly, 
and I cut the Beans for green fodder. 
“ The Aphis attacked the whole field, and destroyed the weak 
Beans ; the strong Beans were topped, and the Aphis did little damage 
to them ; only an odd stem here and there was destroyed by them. 
“ Some garden Beans in this neighbourhood were utterly destroyed 
by Aphis, although topped. 
“ I find it best to apply alkali waste on stubbles as soon as the corn 
is off the ground, and the best crop to follow seems to be the Potato ; 
this is on heavy soil. After Potatoes, any grain or Beans. 
“ It is a great pity that the alkali waste is not more widely dis¬ 
tributed over the couutry and accessible to farmers. I apply ‘ waste ’ 
to my manure-heaps occasionally, and it seems to answer very well, 
causing them to rot, and also destroying insect-life." 
