ractice the manure used for the bean crop is farmyard manure,
applied to the soil in autumn after the harvest of the wheat, barley, or
other cereal crop grown. So common is this practice, that the belief
commonly exists that farmyard manure is necessary for a successful bean
crop. But experiments conducted at the Highland Society's Experiment
Station at Pumpherston show that full crops of beans may be grown with
the aid of artificial manures on soils which have received no
application of farmyard manure for ten years.

_Relative Value of Manurial Ingredients._

In the Appendix[246] will be found a table giving the results of
manurial experiments with the nitrogenous, phosphatic, and potash
manures on beans, carried out by Dr A. P. Aitken at the Highland
Society's Experiment Station. From these experiments it will be seen
that the application of phosphates and nitrogenous manures, either alone
or together, exerted a comparatively small effect in increasing the
yield of beans compared with that obtained with potash, either alone or
combined with phosphates. As Dr Aitken says, "Without potash in the
manure, the other two ingredients are of very little use, unless,
indeed, the land be very rich in potash."

_Gypsum._

Gypsum has a good effect on the bean crop, both on account of the lime
it contains, and of its indirect action in setting free potash.

Superphosphate is a much better manure than insoluble phosphates, and
similarly, in the few cases where nitrogenous manures are beneficial,
the speediest acting are best. Hence nitrate of soda is to be preferred
to other nitrogenous manures. When it is applied, it should be applied
in small quantities. A slow-acting nitrogenous manure is positively
injurious; so also, according to Dr Aitken, is nitrate of soda, applied
as a top-dressing to the crop.

Of potash manures, the muriate seems to be more effective than the
sulphate.

_Effect of Manure on Composition of Crop._

Lastly, we may refer to the effect of manures on the composition of the
crop. This is, on the whole, very slight, especially when compared with
the effect manures exert on the composition of such crops as turnips or
potatoes. It is the quantity and not the quality of the crop which the
manure affects in the case of beans.

PEAS.

Peas are not grown to anything like the same extent as beans. As a rule,
when they are cultivated it is along with beans, when they are
necessarily manured in a si