Pre air freight and freezers the aim of veg growing was to get your veg
as early as possible to bridge the "Hungry gap" from Autumn harvest to
first spring cropping.
French beans take 10 weeks from sowing to first pick, Runner (Stick)
beans take 12 weeks.
But if you stop your runner beans after 2 or 3 true leaves they put
their energy into producing beans rather than growth and crop at around
10 weeks like French beans.
The down side is that the beans touch the soil and grow curved, where as
French beans being much shorter grow straight..
David @ a steadily heating side of Swansea Bay