Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1867-05-03
FARM AND GARDEN.
Plant Mere Beans and Peas.

Plant Mere Beans and Peas.
The Maine Farmer advises a more ex-
tensiye growing Of beans and peas az
means Of improving our agriculture
The bean being a leguminous plant, does
not impoyerish the soil, while its habit of
growth is such rs 10 enable the farmer to
keep the soil open and free from weeds
The pea ia also an enriching crop, and
although the land upon which it grows
cannot be cultivated, yet it 80 completely
shades the ground that it is kept moist and
light, and weeds have no chance to breathe.
Neither crop is regarded as an exhaust
ing one, and the bean especially, is well
adapted to take the same place III our
course of farming that the turnip takes
in England-acting as a sort Of "iallow
crop" According to the best analysis OF
these crops, they are both extremely rich
in nitrogen; hence their consumption on
the farm furnishes manure rich in ammo
MIA, the very element needed for the
proper growth of wheat and the cereals.
So, while in their own period of growth
they demand but a limited amount Of
manure, they furnish the substance, which
if converted into manure upon the
farm where grown, adds UNNECESSARILY
to its own fertility and its ability to
produce other crops and means Of im-
proyement Beans generally command
high price in the market, and so
do peas though the latter are not so
quick, nor do they command so high a
price They are superior articles Of
food, and in England, Scotland and Ger
many, form the chief articles Of diet
among the laboring classes, taking the
place Of bread, and contributing 10 the
health and physical powers Of the people.
IL beans and peas are sold of the farm,
they do not carry away SO much Of the
fertility of the soil as some other crops,
and if consumed upon the farm, they add
double value TO it The experiments Of
Mr. j. B. Lawes, Of Rothamstead, Eng
land, demonstrated that the manure from
a ton al peas was worth So - Wilde
thatsfrom q ton ri oats was worth bm g. 40
the difference being due to the larger
amount Of nitrogean in the Former crop.
This shows at glance the relative value
of the two crops, and also shows the value
Of peas as compared with some other
grains whose value differs bat little from
that OF oats Peas give the soil an adm.
rable preparation for winter wheat IL
the growth is considerable heavy, the
ground is completely shaded, thereby
producing no weeds, while they generally
ripen early enough to be harvested in
ample time to SOW the wheat
Mr. Harris, in his Walks and Talks
on the Farm, published in the May mum
Der of the American Agricuiturist, gives
his experience with the bean as follows
A correspondent asks me how plant and
cultivate beans. Last year | turned over
an old sod, narrowed Thoroughly, marked
il ont In rows two feet five inches apart,
with common wooden marker, then drilled
in the beans with the Corn and Bean
Planter" We finished the whole field of
twelye acres in a day and half OF course
it il not necessary 10 mark out the land be-
fore planting. The drill will do its own
marking; but find it better to mark the
Land first, as the drill can be guided so
mnch straighter. The drill sows two rows
at time, and when the land is marked in
advance, the tnbes, or "hoes," run in the
marks. and you can see the least deviation
/ get two men At il, one to drive the horse
and the other TO guide the driI. Too much
pains cannot be taken TO plant straight A
little extra labor In doing this will be saved
i've times over in the after culture, OF
course this is equally true of corn, potatoes,
and all other hoed crops. The drill drops
Eve or six beans in a hull, about fourteen
inches apart ] have no doubt the beans
would do just az well, and perhaps better,
IL dropped single bean at time, two
inches or 50 apart. They do very
we'll planted SO in the garden, bat having
them in hills is more convenient in hoe
ing. hoed mine only once last year, bat
kept the eultivator running frequently he
tween the rows. This is the great point,
and Il is here where so many fail. Il Is
said 90 rust the leaves If cultivated when
the dew II on. This may or may not be
80. do not know. But ] do know that
frequent cultivation will make all the DIFF
ference between a good crop and poor
one, One Of my neighbors told a friend
that "there was the grandest field OF beans
be ever saw in his life on the north road"
They are Mr.. Harris" Not they. he
hasn't sot Geld on his farm that will pro
duce such crop as that" But they nerc
my beans. and what Is more, they were
planted on the toughest and most neg
lecled Geld on the farm-a field that had
not been ploWed for fifteen years, and pro
duced little else than thistles and teasels,
There was a great growth of beans, and II
vas caused by nothing but frequent calftSo-
Hoa. do not know how often they we're
cultivated, bat think eight or nine times.
Al all events, not a weed was suffered 90
show its head between the rows.
What is the best variety 81" | have
not had experience enough TO tell. Hay
ward thinks the Marrow Is the most profit
sbls IL yields nearly or qaite as we'll as
the medium, aad brings higher price
The only objection % il is that the beans
are apt TO split open.