Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1882-05-04
An Easier and Better Way.


The hills for Lima beans should
lie about one yard in diameter, and
the manure should be used plentifully.
A little phosphate should he added
also, and the hills kept sprinkled with
plaster. Make the hills slightly ele-
waited, and have the earth in the finest
possible condition. No coarse manure
should be used, but only that which
is fine, decomposed and good. Not
n lump, clod or stone should remain
on the hill, and each hill should bc
made deep with a spade. The lir-t
preparation for this crop is very
| important, and no neglect or over.
sight in the beginning can he after.
ward corrected. If unrottcd manure
is used, place it at the bottom OF the
hill, allowing only the rottcd material
to be near the surface. Although a
| yard is recommended as the diameter
of the hill, IL should be known that
the larger the hills the better the
crop. The roots spread out TO n
greater distance. and no limit can be
assigned for the proper size. The
bills being prepared, plant the seed,
about six beans in a hill, eycs do,rH.
,rdrd, in q circle Of fifteen inches
diameter. 1t is best 10 use more
seed, however, for fear Of failure to
gcrminatc, thinning out the inferior
plants after they are up. When
about one foot high hoe each hill
well, and rake the hills after hocing.
They need no more working after
that, except a raking. in order 10
keep the grass from them. They
will not thrive unless the hills are
kept clean, and il will not do To use
| the hoe but once, as the roots do not
require cutting or molestation. The
rake is better for this plant than the
hoe, and will cifectually keep down
the grass and weeds If used often.
We find the above paragraph in
one of our agricultural exchanges,
and reproduce il here FOR the purpose
Of adding our protest against its
teachings. Not that the method de
scribed is not good one the trou-
bic is it is too good, too elaborate,
and looks SO formidable on paper
that many for whose benefit it is in
tended will be frightened away from
making any attempt 10 add this lux.
ury to their list of vegetables. What
the average farmer needs to know Of
vegetable gardening is not how 10
attain the very best possible results
in this or that specially, and which
can be attained only 10y their having
that high degree Of skill which fol-
lows upon long experience, and by
the use OF methods more elaborate
and expensive than the end to be
reached warrants, but how TO obtain
for his own table, an early, constant
and generous supply Of the best yege-
tables, in liberal variety, and at the
least possible expense of time and
labor. We are ready TO admit that
more and possibly larger limas can
be grown from a given area by pur-
suing the instructions given by our
contemporary than by the simple
methods which VIC shall give, but the
point we make is that more farmers
tables will be supplied with this most
desirable addition TO the daily bin OF
fare by the adoption of the less for
midable course. Prcferring practice
to theory and regarding experience
better than guess work, we will relate
how our last years supply og limas
was obtained rather than dictate how
others shall obtain theirs: Our gar
den is one hundred feet wide and
three hundred and thirty-five feet
long, containing something more
than three-quarters OF an acre, with
a very gentle and regular slope to
the southeast, and divided by straight
lines of currants, rhubarb, raspber-
ries, hlackberries, &c, running its
entire length, into strips Of ten to
twenty feet in width. Being CON-
paratively new, it is only in fair con.
dition as to fertility, and receives
liberal annual dressings OF manure
One of these strips, with row of
raspberries on one side and black.
berries on the other, was manured,
plowed, narrowed and "marlSed out. I.
in due season, just as we do the