The Pole Lima Beans. 359 



This bean was offered first time in Dreer's Garden Calendar of 

 1875. This is the description then given: "This bean is the 

 product of the green wrinkled variety obtained from Mr. II. Kina- 

 ber, of Kimberton, Chester County, Pa , about thirty years ago. 

 Selections of the best specimens were aimually made for seed until 

 the bean has increased in early maturity and size, and established 

 the present standard character. 



" The distinctive features of this sort are early maturity, prolific- 

 ness and extra quality of bean ; containing more saccharine matter 

 and producing one-third more shelled beans to the pole than the 

 Large Lima, while the shelling becomes an easy matter, from the 

 fact of the pods being entirely full of beans, forming one against 

 the other like peas in a pod. 



'' The ATuericmi Agricultuy^ist of November 1874, ^ says: 'In 

 these beans the pods are not only full, with no spaces between, but 

 are as full as they can stick, the seeds so crowding one another that 

 the ends of the central beans are square ; the bean is also much 

 thicker than the ordinary kind. A vine of this kind bearing the 

 same number of pods as one of the ordinary variety would, we 

 should judge, yield nearly if not twice as much in shelled beans. 

 The pod being so completely tilled, the shelling becomes an easy 

 matter, and the beans when cooked are much superior to the ordi- 

 nary ones, as the amount of skins is much smaller in proportion to 

 the enclosed nutriment. 



'* ' We regard the improving of this bean as one of the most im- 

 portant of the recent contributions to horticulture.'" 



14. Challenge or Challenger (Figs. 112, 113). — So like Dreer 

 Improved that I cannot distinguish any constant differences, but the 

 pods are perhaps shorter. Introduced some years ago by J. M. 

 Thorburn & Co. Seeds from Livingston's Sons. 



John W. Kumerle, Newark, New Jersey, a well known Lima 

 bean grower and the originator of the Kumerle or Thorburn dwarf 

 Lima, writes me as follows respecting this bean : "I have sold 

 this variety for a number of years under the name of Hedden 

 Lima bean. It is the same as J. M. Thorburn <k Co. of New York 

 City sell as Challenge. I receive my supply from Y. J. Hedden, 

 Esq., of East Orange, N. J. This bean has been in the Hedden 

 family for at least eighty years and they have been very particular 

 in selecting them every year for seed until they have succeeded in 

 producing a bean that yields from five to six beans in the pod." 



