Cultivation of Arable Land.—Beans. 593

eftablifhed in the foil before the weather becomes too hot and parching. And, on the contrary, when they are fet too early there may be danger from the frofts, which, when fevere, are known to injure them greatly at the time they firft fhew themfelves above the furface of the ground, and when accompanied by fudden thaws to be capable of wholly deftroying them*.

Seed.—The proportion of feed that may be neceffary, muft, of courfe, be dif- ferent, according to the nature of the foil, the period of putting the crop into the ground, and the manner in which the bufinefs is performed. Where the broadcaft method is purfued, and the land is of the medium bean kind, from three and a half to four bufhels is the quantity that is moft commonly allowed to the acre. This mode of practice fhould, however, never be attempted when the others can be had recourfe to. Under other methods of putting in the beans, a much lefs proportion of feed is, however, required, the quantity varying according to the diftance of planting from two to three buthels anda half to the acre, or in fome cafes perhaps rather more. When planted in rows at the diftance of two anda half feet, the quantity of feed that is moft proper has been found to be about two bufhels to the acre; but when put in rows at the diftance of only fifteen inches, it will be three and a half bufhels, or per- haps rather more f.

The manner of putting this crop into the foil differs confiderably in different diftri€ts. In fome the method of fowing broadcaft is ftill in ufe; but in this the feed is liable to be left uncovered on the furface of the land, or covered fo lightly that the bean plants are incapable of vegetating in a proper manner, from which the crop often becomes weak and feeble in its early. growth, and feldom acquires proper ftrength afterwards. Befides, in this method, from the irregularity of the erop, there is great danger of its being injured by the growth of weeds, as they cannot be conveniently deftroyed by the hoe.

It is the cuftom in fome of the more fouthern diftrifts to plant this kind of crop in rows, by means of a line and dibble, which, though an expentfive practice, is greatly preferable to the above, both in admitting of the land being kept clean, and in the economy of feed. In this way the rows are ufually marked out to the diftance of a foot from each other, and the beans depofited in holes about two inches apart, the lines being ftretched acrofs the ridges, which are formed of different breadths, according to the circumftances of the Jand, but in many cafes about fix feet over. In this mode, after one row is

* Corrected Report of Middlefex.+ Ibid. 4G