Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-05-31

No Good Reason why Beans should Not
be Raised in Larger Quantities.
Onion Culture on the Farm-Care of Milk
in the DairipS-i Cheap Si;o.
THE DEAREST FARs1 PRODUCT.

THE DEAREST FARI PRODUCT.
Good beans now sell for S2.z5 per
| bushel. while the best wheat brings
| but about 3 cents. In other words
one bUShel Of field beans is worth al
most as much as four bushels ofwheat
On land suited to them the yield of
beans is about rs large as OF wheat.
In most parts of the country q paying
crop of wheat can only be raised on
| land that still retains most of its
original fertility. Beans, however, do
we'll on soils that have produced several
crops of small grain. Wheat is not a
paying crop unless it can be sown and
harvested by machinery. 1t must also
be raised on land that is free from
| stumps and stones, for machines can
not be operated among them. Beans
can be raised to good advantage on
land that contains stumps and stones,
and will pay better than almost any
crop that can be planted. A drill for
| planting, a machine for cutting the
stalks, and another for thrashing are
desirable, but at present prices beans
constitute the most profitable crop a
farmer can raise if the seed is dropped.
the harvesting performed, and the
thrashing done by hand. Farmers
who have considerable help but small
capital generally find the raising of
beans profitable.
No one should attempt to raise field
beans on land that contains the seed of
weeds or to which fresh manure has
been applied. A crop is raised with
the least labor on an inverted sod of
clover or cultivated grass. When such
land is used for raising beans the plow-
ing should be done about the 1st of
June, and a deep furrOw should be
turned. The harrow should be i'm
mediatcly used, and the beans planted
before the middle OF the month. The
rows should be from two to three feet
apart, according to the width of the
harrow or cultivator that is to be used
in working the soil between them.
The amount of seed required to plant
an acre will depend on the size of the
beans and the distance between the
rows. It will vary from half a bushel
to a bushel. What prairie farmers
cali tirSt-class corn land, rich and
black soil. is not as good for beans as
poorer and lighter soil. The thin
soils of New England, New York,
Pennsylvania, and Canada produce
good crops of beans, though they are
| not rich enough to raise large crops of
corn or potatoes. There is consider
able land in all western states that is
better adapted to raising beans than
any other crop.
Very rich land produces too large a
Oy Of ~ l.
pods to form too late in the season to
mature and ripen. A rather poor and
thin soil produces small stalks and
little foliage, but the pods will be of
fair size and we'll filled. A field de-
voted to producing beans should have
a nearly uniform soil throughout. This
will insure beans Of about the same
size and maturity at the same time.
A few immature beans in lot are cer-
tain to greatly reduce the price. Poor
specimens among beans are very con-
spicuous. TOinsure ease in cultivation
and to prevent the ground becoming
wcedy the rows should be straight and
Of uniform distance apart. Working
the ground occupied by beans is for the
purpose Of keeping it light and free
from weeds. 1t should only be done
when there is no dew or rain on the
vines. If they are disturbed when
they are wet or dirt be thrown on them
they will he likely to rust. and black
spots will appear on the pods which
may extend to the beans they inclose.
A tolerably dry climate is very favor
able for raising beans, which suffer
much from the excessive moisture.
1t seems somewhat singular that few
OF the western states produce beans
enough to supply the local markets.
Farmers complain because they have
to send their corn and small grains to
the eastern states or to Europe to dis
pose of but beans are brought to west
crn cities from the very places to which
other farm products are sent. The
west should at least produce all the
beans that are needed fol- home con-
sumption, and the consumption should
be largely increased. 1t is likely that
good crops of field beans could be rails
cd in portions of Kansas that are too
dry TO produce potatoes and corn in an
average season. Beans have lately
become a very valuable crop in the dry
portions of California, and they have
been sent to supply the miners and
lumbermen in Michigan. As an article
of common food beans take high
rank. as they are at once wholesome
and nutritious. The most thrifty pco-
pie in the world are the largest con-
sumers of beans Many western farm
ers hardly ever eat beans, as they do
not raise them and find them costly
when obtained in groceries.
ONION Gil TIIRE ON THE EARM