Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-12-19
BEANS FOR THE WORLD.
Something About the Circumscribed Area
of This Staple Crop.

NEW York, Dec. l3.-Tbere is no product
Of the soil whose virtues are more generally
recognized than the ordinary white bean, and
there is no crop that Is more likely to be uni
formly profitable. And yet there is no
branch Of farming that IS 50 restricted in area
in the United States, with one possible eIcep-
ton, as the raising Of white beans, or course,
market gardeners the world over raise string"
beans and every one who has a quarter Of an
acre garden patch plants a few Whitesboros
or marrowfats for his own use, but the syste-
matte culture Of beans in the United States is
mostly limited to a small area on the south
shore of Lake Ontario. near Rochester, n. Y.
There, in the northwestern portion Of Monroe
and the northern portion of Orleans counties,
tine WhitesbOrO or medium" bean Is a staple,
dividing the honors with the apple only, and
often being planted in fields Of fifty and even
a hundred acres. From the railway stations
in that circrmscribed region go out at least
three -fourths Of all the beans sold to con-
sumers in the United States. large pro-
portion Of the rest comes from Chilli, South
America.
1t may seem strange that the raising OF
beans should receive the attention of the far
mers in so small section of country, but the
IdIJ Is tudI TIE CIpp Is d NtI y bcHitl OHc'
easily and disastrously affected by either wet
or dry weather, by too great heat or too
early frosts, and requiring skillful and care
full cultivation. II the vines are touched
after they begin TO flower, the crop is ruined,
and, IL after the perils of drought and rain and
early frosts are safely passed by, the pods are
allowed to become too dry before harvest
ing they are sure to shell" and the crop is
Al. =
infinite dismay.
Beans will not do well too far south and
the contiguity Of the lake, which keeps off
early frosts, coupled with certain favorable
features OF the soil, particularly adapt this re-
gion to their cultivation.
The care and skill required in harvesting
beans-they have to be pulled up by the roots
have created a special class Of laborers in
the bean country. These people work but
little during most Of the year. A good bean
puller can earn s. day. and the harvest
lasts some six weeks, furnishing the ready
cash required for purchase Of clothes, etc.
The rest Of the year is spent by the profes-
sonal bean puller in fishing and loating and
the doing Of such odd jobs as present them
selves
OF course, all who pull beans" do not be-
long TO the professionals but there Is in
these counties a distinct class who go from
farm to farm in gangs" beginning as early
in the morning as they can see and continuing
at the work until twilight has faded into the
darkness of night. The experienced puller
will take two rows of beans at a time and 90
across the field at about the rate of q slow
walk, never leaving an unpulled stalk, and
shelling but very few, even if they are dry.
Most Of them work on their knees, which are
usually well padded with leather.
The bean pulling season Is with these
people a season of frolic as well as
hard work, and directly they leave the
field they usually tramp of 70 the nearest
store" in body, where they buy smoked
herring cheese and crackers, and then pro
ceed tO gorge themselves on those delicacies.
OF course stories and songs, sometimes not
OF the most refined, go round, and the hilarity
Of the occasion is greatly increased if they
have CHANGED to secure jug of hard cider.
But the festivities Of the night never inter
fere with the work Of the day, for they know
that the harvest is short, and a day lost has
gone forever. The next mornings sun in
variably finds them in the field ahead of him.
Most farmers still thresh their bean crop by
spreading it out on the barn floor and driving
a team of horses around upon it, though the
bean separator" modification Of the grain
separator has of late years been introduced
to a limited extent C.S