BROAD BEANS
How to Make Them Set
How to make an early crop of broad beans “set” is a problem which often receives consideration, and ends usually in blaming the bees for destroying the flowers. The truth seems to be that the bee'punctures the base of the flower as the shortest cut to the supply of nectar, which it takes without rendering the plant the kindly assistance in pollination with which bees are generally credited. Seeing a quantity of bean straw in the early summer that had evidently borne a heavy crop, the problem was raised with the grower, who stated that his method was to use a switch on the plants a few times when in flower and during the middle of a fine day. He stated that he had used the method for two or three seasons with good results each time. The switch is made of a bundle of fine twigs, such as manuka or birch. This treatment evidently improves the distribution of pollen, and is well worth a trial.—“N.Z. Journal of Agriculture.”
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19360724.2.161.5
Bibliographic details
Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 255, 24 July 1936, Page 18
Word Count
176BROAD BEANS Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 255, 24 July 1936, Page 18
Using This Item
Stuff Ltd is the copyright owner for the Dominion. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0 New Zealand licence. This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Stuff Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.
Log in