The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1885-08-01
BEANS.
The Proper Culture to Make This a Profit
able Crop.

The Proper Culture to Make This Profit
able Crop.
With good yield and fair quality OF
crop, bean culture is quite profitable.
They are not exhaustive. and have
never found a better crop to prepare the
land for wheat. Belonging to the same
botanical family as clover-the legum-
inose-they leave the land in condi-
ton extremely favorable for the growth
of the wheat plant.
The navy bean will, in ordinary sea
sons, mature in eleven weeks from
planting, and this will enable the farmer
to grow crop of rye to turn under
before planting to enrich the land, or if
he has piece of land full of foul seeds.
he can, by early blowing and subsequent
stirring, get most of the weed seed to
start, and destroy them before the beans
are planted; so it is seen that rightly
managed beans are cleansing crop.
In several counties of Southern Ohio
crop by method which L have never
seen elsewhere. The land is plowed
early and frequently cultivated, so as to
kill the weeds and get in nice condition,
and about the 10th of June the beans
are drilled at the rate of about one bushel
of seed per acre, with the wheat drill,
with every third hoe stopped. This
gives two rows, eight inches apart, then
space of sixteen inches, and two more
of the close rows. After sowing, the
field is rolled so as to leave it level, and
nothing more is done to the crop until
maturity, when they are cut with the
moving machine, thus doing away
with the hard and slow work of pulling.
1t is wise to plant as soon after rain
as the land can be worked. and it is
very desirable that there should not be
any heavy rains until the beans are up
and have a good start, for, if a heavy
rain falls soon after planting, they are
likely to rot in low spots, making an
imperfect stand. and the weeds will
start with them and choke the crop. If.
however, the conditions are favorable
for the first few days, and the crop gets
a good start, they will soon cover the
ground so as to keep down the weeds
and produce good crop. II the beans
are to be cultivated, sow with the wheat
drill. and make the rows two feet apart.
Cultivation should be shallow and level,
so as not to heap any earth up at the
rows, and with favorable weather will
need to be repeated but once, as the
crop will soon take possession of the
soil Harvesting should not be deferred
ill the pods are dry, or there will be
loss from Smelling. As soon as half the
pods are yellow, the crop may be cut or
pulled, and should be cured as rapidly
as possible, and taken to shelter as soon
as possible. If lofts. with open floors.
can be had to store them on, there is
little danger of damage to them in the
barn. as they do not pack closely and
the air will circulate through quite a
bulk of them.
The best time to thresh beans is in
clear, cold weather in winter, but if it
is not convenient to keep them, there
are usually drying, windy days through
the autumn when they are in prime
condition. The quickest and best way
to thresh is TO tramp with horses, but
care must be taken not to let the horses
step on the bare floor, or to have thin
places, or the beans will many of them
be split, which will detract from their
appearance and injure their sale.
If the weeds have been kept down in
the crop, it will be better not to pillow
the land for wheat. but simply mellow
the surface with the cultivator or
harrow, and drill in the seed, as the
land where beans have grown will be
found TO pulverize easily. l have spoken
only of the navy bean. because it is a
standard variety. On some soils, and
for certain markets, some other variety
will often prove more profitable, and
each grower must Judge for himself
what to plant. The .'tree bean" which
has been largely advertised for some
years. seems to be only an improved
navy, and the name l consider mis-
homer. as it does not. as the name inn
plies. grow in tree form. -Cor. Country
Gentleman.