No particular date can be mentioned for
planting because the dates will vary in different locations according to
the beginning of the frost-free period. The best way to escape weevil is
to sell most of the beans as soon as harvested, treating those which you
retain for seed, or for your own use, with bisulphide of carbon vapor or
by gently heating to a temperature not above 130 degrees, which, of
course, must be done carefully with an accurate thermometer so as not to
injure germinating power. Unless you know that beans do well in your
locality, it would be wise to plant a small area at first, because beans
are somewhat particular in their choice of location in California, and
one should have practical demonstration of bearing before risking much
upon the crop.
The Yard-Long Bean.
I wish to ask about the very long bean which I think was introduced from
China into California. I remember seeing one vine when I was living in
California which I think must have been 20 or 30 feet long and had
hundreds of pods and each of these pods were from 2 to 3 feet long. Are
these beans generally considered eatable? Would they be at all suitable
to get as a field bean which the hogs eat?
You probably refer to the "yard-long" pole bean. It is a world variety
and may have come to California from China as you suggest, but it has
also been well known for generations in Europe and was brought thence to
the Eastern States at some early date.
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