BROAD BEAN

Faba vulgaris



The Broad Bean is a thrifty plant, as hardy as any in the garden, and

very accommodating as to soil. It is quite at home on heavy land, but in

common with nearly all other vegetables it thrives on a deep sandy loam.

Considering the productive nature of the plant and its comparatively

brief occupation of the ground, the common Bean must be regarded as one

of our most profitable garden crops. Both the Longpod and Windsor

classes should be grown. For general work the Longpods are invaluable;

they are early, thoroughly hardy, produce heavy crops, and in appearance

and flavour satisfy the world at large, as may be proved by appeal to

the markets. The Windsor Beans are especially prized for their superior

quality, being tender, full of flavour, and, if well managed, most

tempting in colour when put upon the table.



For early crops the Longpods claim attention, and sowings may be made

towards the end of October or during November on a dry soil in a warm

situation, sheltered from the north. Choose a dry day for the operation.

On no account should the attempt be made while the soil conditions are

unfavourable, even if the sowing is thereby deferred for some time. The

distance must depend upon the sorts, but two feet will answer generally

as the distance between the double rows; the two lines forming the

double rows may be nine inches apart, and the seed two inches deep. On

strong ground a distance of three feet can be allowed between the double

rows, but it is not well to give overmuch space, because the plants

protect each other somewhat, and earliness of production is the matter

of chief moment. Thoroughly consolidate the soil to encourage sturdy

hard growth which will successfully withstand the excessive moisture and

cold of winter. It is an excellent practice to prepare a piece of good

ground sloping to the south, and on this to make a plantation in

February of plants carefully lifted from the seed rows, wherever they

can be spared as proper thinnings. These should be put in double rows,

three feet apart. If transplanted with care they will receive but a

slight check, and will give a successional supply.



Main Crops.--Another sowing may be made towards the end of January,

but for the main crop wait until February or March. For succession crops

sowings may be made until mid-April, after which time there is risk of

failure, especially on hot soils. A strong soil is suitable, and

generally speaking a heavy crop of Beans may be taken from a

well-managed clay. But any deep cool soil will answer, and where there

is a regular demand for Beans the cultivator may be advised to grow both

Longpods and Windsors--the first for earliness and bulk, the second for

quality. The double rows of maincrop Beans should be fully three feet

apart, and the plants quite nine inches apart in the rows. The

preparation of the seed-bed must be of a generous nature. Where grass

land or land of questionable quality is broken up and trenched, it will

be tolerably safe to crop it with Beans as a first start; and to prepare

it for the crop a good body of fat stable manure should be laid in

between the first and second spits, as this will carry the crop through,

while insuring to the subsoil that has been brought up a time of

seasoning with the least risk of any consequent loss.



There is not much more to be said about growing Beans; the ground must

be kept clean, and the hoe will have its work here as elsewhere. The

pinching out of the tops as soon as there is a fair show of blossom is a

good plan, whether fly is visible or not, and it is also advisable to

root out all plants as fast as they finish their work, for if left they

throw up suckers and exhaust the soil. The gathering of the crop is

often so carelessly performed that the supply is suddenly arrested.



Sowings under Glass.--In an emergency, Beans may be started in pots in

the greenhouse, or on turf sods in frames for planting out, in precisely

the same way as Peas for early crops. This practice is convenient in

cases where heavy water-logged ground precludes outdoor sowing in autumn

and early spring. In all such cases care must be taken that the forcing

is of the most moderate character, or the crop will be poor and late,

instead of being plentiful and early. When pushed on under glass for

planting out, the young stock must have as much light and air as

possible consistent with safety, and a slow healthy growth will better

answer the purpose than a rapid growth producing long legs and pale

leaves, because the physique of infancy determines in a great degree

that of maturity, not less in plants than in animals.