The Pole Lima Beans. 



I. TvrES AND Yariktiks. 



About a year ago we tried to say something (Bulletin 87) about 

 the dwarf Lima beans. We found that those beans are all modern 

 developments from the pole Limas, and that they represent each of 

 the three types or tribes of Lima beans, — the Sieva, Flat and 

 Potato Lima types. A discussion of the botanical features and the 

 history of these groups was then given, and it is therefore unnec- 

 essary to repeat the account here. We need only recapitulate the 

 leading marks of the groups. 



The 8ieva or Carolina bean is a small and slender grower as com- 

 pared with the large Limas, early and hardy, truly annual, with thin^ 

 short and broad (ovate-pointed) leaflets, numerous, small papery 

 pods which are much curved on the back and provided with a long 

 upward point or tip and which split open and twist when ripe, dis- 

 charging the seeds ; beans small and flat, white, brown, or variously 

 marked with red. This, like the true Lima, is a native of South 

 America, and was early cultivated by the aborigines of North 

 America and countries to the southward. It is the plant whick 

 Linnaeus meant to designate by the name Phaseolus lunatus. The 

 distinguishing marks of the pods of the Sieva beans may be seen in 

 Figs 1(>2 and ln3 ; and the beans of two of the varieties are shown 

 in Fig. 101. The reader may consult Bulletin 87 for fuller infor- 

 mation of the botany and history of the Lima beans. 



The true Lima bean is distinguished from the Sieva by its tall 

 growth, lateness, greater susceptibility to cold, perennial in tropical 

 climates, large thick of ten ovate-lanceolate leaflets, and fewer thick 

 fleshy straightish (or sometimes laterally curved) pods with a less 

 prominent point and not readily splitting open at maturity ; seeds 

 much larger, white, red, black or speckled. The botanical name of 

 this plant is Phaseolus lunatus var. macrocav^us. Of this true or 

 large Lima there are two types in cultivation: 



