Show harvesting BEANS directions for the growing and had adling of this profitable crop I 1 the bean crop fills a good place in the ordinary farm rotation since it may be planted at a time when other work Is not pressing and re quire but a small amount of culli v a 11 ahey grow well on ordinary clay loam soils and give good returns for the labor expended bush beans should be planted after all danger of frost is past and corn planting and other spring work has been well completed A good crop may often be matured if planted as late as july 4 they do best on loam soils and prefer clay uplands that are well drained which need not be par ticul arly rich it is best to plant them Is I 1 rows abo it two and one halt half to three and one halt feet apart they may be planted with a corn planter adjust ed to a slow speed so as 0 drop the Z THE HOME MADE BEAN SHELLER beans six to eight inches apart is in the row roa some planters have cal attachments for planting beans the ground should be harrowed after he beans are planted and the surface way ay be thoroughly cultivated at that time the only cultivation necessary to grow them is frequent stirring of the surface to bep down weds we ds and retain moisture deep plowing should be avoided since it is unnecessary and harmful the beans should be allowed to ripen and become brown before be ing picked it is usually best to al lo 10 v them to become as dry as pos sible so as not to shell out n u hand ling there are several contrivances for pull ng and cutting the beans one of the simplest and most cal is shown in the cut it consists of a I 1 nife which may be made by any blacksmith which is bolted to the stock of an ord nary s agle shovel plow with one horse this instrument may be used to cut several acres a day the plow should be held so that the knife passes passe along salong just under the surface of the ground cutting the bean stems about one half inch below the surface after allowing the beans to dry and the leaves to wilt they may be gathered into piles with a tour four tined fork where they may be allowed to remain tor for a day or two it if the weather is dry they should then be hauled to shelter and placed in a pile not more than three feet deep if leaves are very green there is danger of mold ing which will seriously injure the beans they must be left in this pile until thoroughly dry and the shells have become bard hard and brit tie tle they may then be hulled either by beating them out with a stick or by using one of the hullers several makes of which are on the market A very cheap and effective huller suggested by farm and home may be made from the sketch it con fists of a cyl ader a which may be made from a block of wood into which are driven a number of no 10 spikes with heads cut off about one inch apart and in rows in the block b which serves as a concave other spikes are driven which when the arrangement is mounted will pass between the rows of spikes on the roller |