The land being ploughed in length, as early in winter as is practicable, and the gaw and head-land furrows sufficiently digged out, take the second furrow across the first as soon as the ground is dry enough in spring to undergo the operation ; w ater-furrow it immediately, and dig again the gaw and head-land furrow s, otherwise the benefit of the second furrow may be lost. This being done, leave the field for sonic days, till it is suffi ciently dry, when a cast of the harrows becomes neces sary, so that the surface may be le‘elled. Then enter with the ploughs,and fhrni the drills, which are generally made up w ith an interval of '27 inches. In tile hollow of this interval, deposit the seed by a drill-barrow, and reverse or slit out the drills to cover the seed, which finishes the process for the time. In ten or twelve days afterwards, according to the state of the weather, cross-harrow the drills, thereby levelling the field for the hoeing process. Water-furrow the whole in a neat manner, and spade and shovel the gaw and head-land furrows, which concludes the pro cess.
This is the most approved way of drilling beans, though in some seasons, upon w et soils, such a method cannot be practised. The next best mode is to give only one spring furrow, and to run the drill-barrow afterevery third plough, in which way, the interNals are nearly of the same extent as already mentioned. Har rowing is afterwards required, befOre the young plants reach the surface, and water-farrowing, ac. as formerly described. In this manner, heavy crops have been raised, though not with such exactness as is practicable in the other. The ground is also left in a worse condition, con sequently the hoeing process is performed with greater difficulty, and rarely executed in a perfect manner. These ineonvenienc( s, however, must be submitted to in adverse seasons ; indeed, they often cannot be avoided by the most dexterous husbandman, unless seed-time is put so far back as to render the after-crop all unproductive one.
Dung is often given to beans, especially when they succeed wheat, Which had not received manure. "rhe best way is to apply the dung on the stubble before the w inter furrow is given, Is hich greatly facilitates the after process. Used in this way, a fore stock must be in hand ; but rr here the farmer is not so well provided, spring (lunging becomes necessary, though evidently of less advantage. At that season, it may either be put into the drills before the seed is sown, or spread upon the surface and ploughed down according to the nature of the chilling process, which is meant to be adopted. Land lunged to Leans, if duly hoed, is always in high order tor carrying a crop of wheat in succession. Per haps better wheat, both in respect of quantity and qual ity, may be cultivated m this way, than in any other mode of sowing. Different machines have been invented
for drilling beans ; but the most common and handy implement is one of the barrow form. This hand-drill is pushed forward by a man or woman, and will, accord ing as the brush or director is lowered or heightened, sow thicker or thinner, as may be expedient and neces sary. Another machine drawn by a horse, and sowing three drills at a time, has been constructed, and, upon flat lands, will certainly distribute the seed with the most minute exactness. Upon unequal fields, and even on those laid out in high ridges, the use of this machine is attended with a degree of inconvenience sufficient to balance its advantages. The hand-drill therefore, in all probability, will be retained for general use, though the otner is capable of performing the work with minuter regularity.
Quantity of Seed.—In England, beans are usually sown much thinner, than repeated ti ials, which have been made, will authorize in Scotland. The English writers speak of two or three bushels as a sufficient quantity to seed an acre ; whereas less than live cannot be used in Scotland, without producing a small crop, and a foul field. As the English acre is one-fifth less than the Scottish, it would appear, that less than four bushels ought not to be hazarded, if a full crop is expected. We seldom have seen thin beans turn out well, unless the soil is particularly rich ; nay, unless the rows close, weeds will get away after the cleaning process is finished, thereby disappointing the object of drilling, and ren dering the system of little avail towards keeping the ground in good condition.
Hoeing Process.—Beans are cleaned in various wars ; 1. By the hand-hoc. 2. By the scraper, or Dutch-hoe. 3. By a plough of small dimensions ; but constructed upon the principles of the approved swing plough. Ploughs with double mould-boards are likewise used to earth them up ; and, with all good managers, the weeds in the drills, which cannot be touched by the hoc, are pulled out by the hand, otherwise no field can be con sidered as duly cleaned.
In treating of the cleaning process, without noticing farther the various ways in which it is executed, we shall confine ourselves to the one which we have found most suited to the generality of bean soils. About ten or twelve days after the young plants have appeared above the surface, enter with the scraper, and loosen any weeds that may have vegetated. At this time, the wings, or cutters. of the implement ought to be particularly sharp, that the scraper may not run too deep, and throw the earth upon the plants. In about ten days after the ground is scraped, according to the state of the weather, and other circumstances, use the small swing plough to lay the t artlt away from the sides of the rows ; and, in doing go as near to the plants as possible ; taking care.