On 19 Nov 2005, Sheldon wrote:

>
> Elaine Parrish wrote:
> >
> > We grew a lot of limas. My grandfather planted them with the "sweet corn"
> > and they grew around the stalks near the ground. Talk about your
> > Succotash! I always loved (and still do) limas. But that crawling around
> > on the ground under the corn to pick them gave me the creeps. It was
> > always cool and shaded so the snakes loved it, as did other creeping,
> > crawling things. booowaaah. Still makes me
> > shiver to think of it.
>
> An absolute lie... lima beans wouldn't grow well enough to produce in
> the shade of corn.
>
> Got any more bullshit stories?


Hi, Mr. Hyde,

You are your normal Cujo testy self, I see. It's ok, Sugar, I do
understand.


Lima beans were never difficult for my grandfather to grow. He was born a
farmer and had a magic touch with plants. The lima beans did very well
beneath the corn. They put something into the soil ( I don't remember just
what and I won't Google for it) that helped the corn and the corn plants
protected the beans as they grew. The Sweet corn came in early and
produced for about half the season. Once it was all pulled, the green
foliage began to die letting in more and more sun and replenishing the
earth as the lima beans matured. Just before all of the corn had been
pulled and while the corn stalks were still green, we'd pick the first of
the limas when they were very young and still tiny.


Elaine, too


>
> Lima beans are not easy to grow even under the best of conditions,
> which is why they typically cost more than other bean varieties. Lima
> beans require an unusually long growing season, and need full sun, they
> will not produce in shade. There are a number of lima bean cultivars,
> any of which can and are refered to as butter beans (in the US south),
> but they are all lima beans regardless, whether you wanna call em
> "butter beans" or "hillybilly fart makers".
>
> Merriam Webster
>
> butter bean
> noun
> 1 : LIMA BEAN: as a chiefly Southern & Midland : a large dried lima
> bean
> ---
>
> http://pubs.caes.uga.edu/caespubs/pubcd/C716-w.htm
>
> The only creepy crawly thing here is you, Elaine.
>
> Sheldon
>
>