May, 1918 
51 
The beans should have sand directly about them to 
ensure good drainage and minimize the danger of 
rotting through excessive moisture during germination 
TELLING the TALE 
THE LIMA 
Photographs by JV. C. McColIom 
I N any well regulated garden calendar for 
the latitude of New \ork City, May 1st is 
planting day for lima beans. On or about that 
date everything should be ready, for where is 
the war garden worthy of the name which has 
not its limas? 
These beans are among the most desirable 
vegetable crops. The vines seldom fail to pro¬ 
duce abundantly if conditions are reasonably 
favorable and standard sorts have been planted. 
There need be no waste of the crop, however, 
for if the yield is greater than can be used on 
the table while fresh, the surplus can be suc¬ 
cessfully preserved for use next fall and winter. 
The photographs and captions on this page 
tell the tale of the principal steps in pole lima 
culture. Choose a good variety like Early 
Leviathan, and plant in hills 3' to 4' apart each 
way. One-quarter of a pint of seed will be 
enough to plant a row 50' long. This quantity 
will cost you about twenty-five cents at any 
good seed store. Succession plantings may be 
made until the middle of June. 
Poles are the usual supports for the climb¬ 
ing kinds of limas. Cedar is the best and 
most durable wood. Set the poles firmly 
and let them stand about 6' high 
Lima beans should be planted with the 
“eyes” of the seeds down, five or six to 
a hill, in a circle around the pole. Cover 
them with about 1 " of soil 
When the vines begin to show a tendency As soon as the young plants are large enough to show 
to climb they will need some assistance to their relative sturdiness, thin them out until only the 
start them properly three strongest remain in each hill 
Lima beans may be planted in among the 
corn, whose stalks will furnish them with 
support as well as shade 
