EXTRAORDINARY BEANS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIX, Issue 5259, 2 April 1928, Page 3

EXTRAORDINARY BEANS.

POUR FEET IN LENGTH; GROW FOUR INCHES! IN A DAY. Beans four feet long, which grew as much as four inches in one day and feached their stupendous size in not more than six weeks from tiiQ time the seeds were planted, may now be seen in the garden of Mr A. Coad in New Plymouth (states the Taranaki News). They' are known as the gigantic New Guinea butter beans, and l , it is said, have, not been dis- , covered many years,. r Mr Coad sent to Melbourne for 1 seeds and was forwarded seven of ( them, shaped somewhat like Jr teeth. He planted two at a time in a kmbsene tins and gave' them their first' start under glass. Now he has three prolific vines climbing a sheltered; sunny treliis. The leaves and stems resemble those of tha marrow : and pumpkin. The flowers are dazzling white and bloom only in the evening for a short life of six hour's. At present there ;are six huge beans, the largest four feet (long and giving promise of a twelve-inch extension, and the others all over thilee feet. Dozens of the fruit were stunted and killed by tha recent cold snap. The bean is covered with a green skin, the flesh being white, and when it has attained neanly its maximum length it begins to fill out frdm the bottom end until its diameter is over threq inches. The flesh turns green on being cooked, and may be either J treated like French beans or cut in, pieces and stuffed like a manrow.