The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1896-05-09
Culture of Lima Beans.

Az tue ulu-Lonth HlSctltlS Ill ApTu Vi
the Philadelphia (Pa.) Grange, DR.. L.
II. Bailey said
Lima beans are excellent when used
green. as shelled beans, or when used ripe
and dry during the winter. Everyone
knows their merits as green beans in sum-
mer, but they are comparatively few who
have found out that the ripe beans are just
as excellent in the winter, and, cooked in
the same way as the common field beans
for the table are the most satisfactory Of
any that can be served
The Lima beans are natives of a warm
country, and, being there perennial, re-
quire a long season. Those growing them
in the North can only DO so successfully
by shortening the period of growth, either
by planting the earlier varieties or by care
fully selecting the soil and giving particu-
lar attention to cultivation. Light and
so-called quick soils are best, and should
have warm exposure. Coarse, raw ma
nure should not be given to Lima beans,
because it tends to make too rank and too
late growth.
w uuc IL - Soocilldi tudt tic 14iutd DCtliio
should be given the longest season posi-
bic, it is useless to plant them before the
weather is thoroughly settled; for, even
though the seeds may germinate, the young
plants will he seriously checked by incle-
ment weather We plant them week or
ten days after it is safe to plant the ordi
nary bush garden beans. We have our
ground very thoroughly prepared, plant
them about an inch deep in about twice
the quantity which we desire to have them
stand, and then expect to keep them grow
ing rapidly until they have reached the
tops of the stakes or trellis. If we use
stakes, we plant the beans in hills about
three feet apart, and the rows about four
feet apart, dropping seven or eight beans
in each hill When the beans are well
up, and danger from bad weather and cut
woams is past, we pull out all but three or
four. The poles should not be more than
six feet high. If they are taller than this
they are not only expensive to procure and
hard to keep in place, but the beans will
run too high and grow too late. When
the beans reach the tops of poles which
are five or six feet high the ends of the
vines swing out horizontally and the growth
is checked, and the setting of fruit is
thereby, no doubt, hastened. Many per-
sons clip back the ends of the vines when
they have reached a certain height, but |
doubt the necessity for this. 1t seems to
me that it is better to prevent too rapid
growth by withholding the strong fertiliz-
ers and then by the use of comparatively
short poles.
Some persons prefer to grow the beans
upon trellis, and this is the most eco-
nomical of room. In this way the beans
can be planted more or less continuously,
so that the vines will eventually stand
about foot apart The trellis can be
made very cheaply by placing very strong
braced post at each end of the row and
then running a strand of fence wire from
one post to the other about eight or nine
inches above the ground, and another
strand about five feet above the grounC
and kept from Stacking by placing stake'
at intervals of 10 feet. Ordinary WOO
twine is then run from the bottom to the
top wire and thence to the bottom wirt
again, and so on, in zigzag fashion,
throughout the length Of the row, placing
it in such manner that the strands of string
will be no more than foot or Is inches
apart This makes very cheap and ser.
viceable trellis and is, no doubt. better
than stakes.
IF one desires to get his beans ahead
very early he can plant them in a forcing
house or cold frame in pots or on inverted
sods, or in refuse berry boxes, about two
weeks in advance of the time they are tC
be set out Of doors, when they can be
transferred easily to the ground. One Of
our constituents say that she always grease!
his Lima beans thoroughly with lard wher
he plants them, and is thereby able tt
plant his crop week or ten days ahead O.
the usual time, because the grease pre-
serves the beans from rotting. We have
not tried this method and do not know
what value it has 1t is an easy matter
to transplant Lima beans, even when they
are not grown in pots or boxes, if the
ground is moist when they are taken up Sc
that large lump of earth adheres to the
roots and if the weather is somewhat humic
following the transfer. But, in spite o.
all that can be done, nearly every variety
of the large Lima beans viii fail to mature
its full crop in the north before frost. II
half the pods which the vines have SCI
should mature before frost comes, the
grower may feel that he has been very
successful. The green pods which remain
at frost time, if the beans are partially
grown, can be picked, the beans shelleC
out and dried, and these can be used ii
the winter time to as good advantage as il
they were thoroughly ripe. Ifthese dried
beans are soaked in water for some time
before they are cooked they are scarcely
inferior to green beans directly from the
vine.