BEAN. An annual plant of the order Legu minosse; widely cultivated for its seeds (beans) and pods, which are used as a food for both man and animals. The whole plant of some species is frequently grown for forage and green manuring. The Broad Bean Mein faba) is the common bean of Europe, of which the Broad Windsor and LAlazayan are the best-known varieties. It has been in cultivation from remote times. The plant is erect, 2 to 4 feet high; has thick, an gular stems, leaves with 2 to 5 oval leaflets; flowers in clusters, generally white with black eyed wing: pods large and thick, and beans thick, flattened, and generally angular. The va rieties and subva rieties in cultivation are numer ous and variable. They are grown both in the garden and field for forage and as human food. The plant is not well adapted to the hot, dry summers of either the United States or Conti nental Europe. but succeeds well in England. It requires a heavy, rich, and well-drained soil. The Scotch, or Horse Bean, belongs to this spe cies. and is cultivated to considerable extent as a forage crop. l'haseoluR vulgaris, the Kidney Bean of Europe. is the common garden and field bean of the United States. It was introduced into Europe in the Sixteenth Century, probably from South America. New varieties of this spe cies are easily originated, and more than 150 va rieties are in cultivation in the United States. Kidney beans are generally divided into two groups--tough-podded and edible-podded. There are bush and pole varieties of each group. Many of the 'wax' or string beans, and most of the shell-beans which are eaten before fully ripe, belong to this species. A few varieties are grown as field crops. and the product is sold as dry beans. They may be planted either in hills or drills after all danger of frost is past, and require a warm, loose soil.
The Lima Bean (Phaseoins lunatus) is a climbing species of South American origin, bear ing very flat, broad pods, with short, flat seeds, slightly kidney-shaped. It is grown to a limited extent in various parts of the United States, and especially in California, where most of the seed is now raised. The Soy Bean (Soja hispida or Glyrine hispida) is the common bean of China and Japan. It is grown in Europe, and in some of the Southern and Southwestern States to some extent as a forage and soiling crop. (See SOY BEAN.) The Cowpea Myna cat jang) belongs to the bean family. It is the chief forage, soiling. and green manure crop of the southern United States. (See CoweEs.) The Scarlet Runner Beau (Phaseolus multi torus) is an ornamental climber used to a limited extent as string and green-shell beans in Europe, especially in Eng land. The frijole (Phascolus, spp.) is a small flat bean, raised in the southwestern United States. as well as in Mexico and other Spanish American countries. where it ranks next to maize as a staple food. Other beans, grown to ' a considerable extent in Oriental countries, hut ' rather uncommon elsewhere. are the Labials Bean (Dolichos labial)). Asparagus Beans (Deli •hos sesquipcdalisl, 3lungo Beans (Phascolus binngo), and Locust or Carob Beaus (Ceratoaia siligna). The Velvet Bean (.111ncuna utilis) has lately come into cultivation in a number of Southern States as a forage plant and soil-reno vator. It has about the same feeding and fer tilizing value as the Cowpea. The Velvet Bean does not ripen its seeds north of Florida and the Gulf-coast States. For illustration see LEGUMES.