For a supply of seed, some of the early summer plants, either dwarfs or runners, should be left untouched ; the first produced pods being always the best, the whole strength of the plants being thus directed to perfecting the seeds. These will ripen in September. The haulm is then pulled up, and allowed to dry with the pods on it ; the seed being found in this way to acquire further matu ration.
304. Kidney-beans are easily forced, and they form a very desirable early spring dish. They are sometimes rais ed in hot-beds ; but more generally, and with greater cer tainty, in hot-houses. They are sown in pots in January and February, and placed on a flat trellis over the flues, on shelves, or in any other convenient situation. Three plants are generally allotted to each pot of a foot in diame ter. A light rich earth, or what is called a cucumber mould, is the soil preferred. With frequent moderate sup plies of water they make good progress, and afford pods in March, April, and May. The dwarf-speckled is the kind generally used in hot-houses ; but, fur hot-beds, the early white is perhaps better, as being of more dwarfish growth.
French gardeners have enumerated above two hundred varieties of the hat icot, but of these not more than twenty are in esteem. They speak of a new variety called the Yellow Kidney-bean of Canada, which they describe as the most dwarfish, and the earliest of all. The Rice Kid ney-bean they mention as a slender runner, rising six feet high, but having seeds which, even when ripe, are not larger than peas. The pods they describe as very good in the unripe state, and quite delicious when prepared under roast fowl.
Esculent Roots.
IT is, perhaps, scarcely necessary to explain, that the term roots is applied to the tubers of the potato and Jerusa lem artichoke only in compliance with popular plactice ; the true roots of the plants consisting of the small fibres or radicles only.
Potato.
305. The potato (Solanum tuberosem,I..; Pentandria Digynia ; Luridx, L. ; Solanacece, Juss.) may be consider ed as a perennial plant, as it will continue to spring up for many successive years on the same spot. The stem rises from two to three feet in height, is branched, succulent, and frequently spotted with red ; the branches long and weak ; flowers white, or tinged with purple ; the fruit is a round berry, green at first, but black when ripe, commonly called potato-apple. The part used consists of the tubers, which are produced on runners, proceeding...from the stein of the plant.
306. Sir Joseph Banks has satisfactorily shewn, that po tatoes were first brought from South America to Spain about the middle of the 16th century, as they are mentioned, un der the name of papas, in Cicia's Chronicle, printed in 1553, and now a very rare book. They were not introduc ed into this country till near the close of the century, when they appear to have been brought from Virginia by the colonists sent out by Sir Walter Raleigh, and who return ed in 1586 ; Herriot, one of these colonists, describing the potato, under the name openawk, in his account of the country they had visited, preserved in De Bry's Collection of Voy ages. It is said, that Sir Wafter Raleigh planted them on his own estate near Cork. They were soon carried over into Lancashire; but near half a century elapsed before they were much known at London. Gerardo and Parkin son describe the plant by the title of Batata Virginiana, to distinguish it from the Spanish potato, Convolvulus bata tas. It was at first raised only in botanic gardens. Parkinson mentions, however, that the tubers were sometimes roast ed, and steeped in sack and sugar, or Naked with marrow and spices, and even preserved and candied by the com fit-makers. In 1663, the Royal Society took some mea sures for encouraging the cultivation of potatoes, with the view of preventing famine. Still, however, although their utility as an article of food was better known, no high cha racter was bestowed on them. In books of gardening, pub lished towards the end of the 17th century, a hundred years after their introduction, they are spoken of rather slightingly. " They are much used in Ireland and America as bread," says one author, " and may be propagated with advantage to poor people."—" I do not hear that it hath been yet es sayed," are the words of another, " whether they may not be propagated in great quantities, for food for swine, or other cattle." Even the enlightened Evelyn seems to have entertained a prejudice against them. " Plant potatoes." he says, writing in 1699, " in your worst ground. Take them up in November for winter spending ; there will enough remain for a stock, though ever so exactly gather ed." The famous nurserymen, London and Wise, whose names have been already repeatedly mentioned, have not considered the potato as worthy of notice in their Complete Gardener, published in 1719 ; and Bradley, who, about the same time, wrote so extensively on horticultural subjects, speaks of them as inferior to skirrets and radishes.