American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-05-24
The Lima Bean.

THE lima bean is one of the most popu
lar vegetables; but for one reason or an
other many people have trouble in getting
them to do well, and some people in get
ting them at all.
This bean loves heat, dislikes cold mois-
ture, and delights in a loose rich soil.
Those who wish to succeed have to be
careful that all these conditions are fully
insured.
In order to guard against damp the
earth is drawn into hills so that any super
abundant moisture can pass rapidly away
If the soil be heavy large portion OF
road sand is mixed with the soil in these
hills, and if one can have access to a COW
yard, well decOmposed manure from such
a locality is the perfection of food to the
lima bean. Then in planting they ought
not to be set but just beneath the surface,
or they will be very liable to rot in push
ing their way through. 1t does no harm
either to push them in the dirt edgewise,
as the sprouting germ comes up all the
sooner therefor.
But with even all these precautions for
dryness, food and warmth, people often
plant too soon; a cold rain follows and
the seed rOts. A first-rate truck gardener
tells us that he never sets his beans until
the earth in the hills rises to sixty degrees,
as he tests it by a thermometer, and he has
Il
at least this. In this way he avoids re-
planting, as so many of his neighbors do
who plant on the haphazard system. Four
sound looking beans are set to each hill,
and if all grow and do well one is taken
out. He regards three plants as fully
enough to remain.
A great difficulty with some people is
to get bean-poles, and many schemes have
been adopted in the endeavor to do with
out them. We have known quite light
branches to be used, mere pea-brush. In
these cases three pieces are stuck into the
ground around the hill, so as to be per-
haps eighteen inches apart, and the tops
are tied together with a piece of Irvine
OF course they are liable to be broken off
by the weight of beans toward the end of
the season; but on the whole they make a
fair substitute. OF late the sunf1ower has
been employed to make live poles. These
are planted very early in spring where the
poles are to be, or rather where the old
fashioned poles would be. By bean-plant-
ing time in June the plants have made
| tolerable Roadway, and the hill for the
seed is drawn around the stems. They
make admirable poles if the strong grow
ing sunf1owers are employed. But they
are liable to the objection of eating up
| some of the food intended for the beans.
Still there is some compensation even for
THIS, Tor the SEED makes excellent chicken
feed, and where fire-wood is scarce the
dead stalks make good kindling- wood.
Wherever poles can be had, there is
nothing better. They are neat, and when
set in straight rows about four feet apart,
have a garden-like look, which after all is
part of the pleasures of horticulture. II
they are scarce and dear, they may be pre-
served long time by little care Cedar
poles have been known to last eight and
even ten years, if they can be protected
from wet during the winter season. Oak
poles also last long time. Usually they
rot off near the ground, and to prevent
this they may be dipped in gas tar, or
some say charring the ends in the rubbish
fire, which one has to make in most gar
dens at the annual clearing up, will an
swer the same purpose.
If it be very great object to have the
poles last as long as possible, the bark
may be taken off, for it is generally in the
encouragement given to the collecting of
moisture between the bark and the wood
that wood generally so soon rots away.
The part in or near the ground ought to
be stripped of bark at any rate.-German-
torn Telegraph.