Page:Husbandman and Housewife 1820.djvu/14

 After the yard is cleaned in the spring the farmer should embrace the first leisure he has to store it with materials for making manure, such as swamp mud, clay, brick dust, straw, fern or brakes, weeds, leaves of trees, turfs, marsh mud, eel grass, or even sand or loam.

THE following mode of planting beans has been recommended by an English writer. The rows are marked out one foot asunder, and the seed planted in holes two inches apart: the lines are stretched across the lands, which are formed about 6 feet over, so that when one row is planted, the sticks to which the line is fastened, are moved by a regular measurement to the distance required, and the same method pursued till the field is completed. The usual price for this work is 9d. sterling per week, and the allowance two bushels per acre."

Sir John Sinclair in his "Code of Agriculture" recommends cutting the tops of beans in order to accelerate their podding. This eminent writer informs us that "it was begun about the year 1804, and has already been tried on more than 200 acres. The operation is performed by means of a sharp edged instrument or knife, 12 or 14 inches long exclusive of the handle; but it may be done by a sickle or reaping hook.  The expense has never exceeded 3s. per acre and it is done by contract.  At a certain stage of its growth the head of the bean stalk does not seem essential to the purpose of vegetation, but by its luxuriance to exhaust the strength of the plant. The proper time to cut them off, is, when the first blossoms begin to drop: if done sooner a fresh shoot will put forth.  As soon as the tops are cut off the pods rapidly increase in size, and the period of ripening is accelerated, The