The Dwarf Lima Beans. 



Beans of the dwarf Lima type have attracted ranch attention dur- 

 ing the past few years, but there appears to be considerable confu- 

 sion as to their merits and little positive knowledge of their botanical 

 features. The writer began the study of this class of beans in 1889, 

 when Kumerle and Henderson dwarf Limas were introduced, and 

 the investigation has been continued until the present time. It was 

 not until last year, however, that the whole subject was carefully 

 gone over with a view of publication, in response to many inquiries 

 for definite information respecting this interesting tyj^e of garden 

 vegetables. Some unexpected results have followed this study, 

 particularly in respect to the botanical affinities and the histories of 

 the varieties. 



In the first place, it should be said that the dwarf Lima beans 

 constitute a new type of garden vegetables. They have all appeared 

 in public within the last decade, and they are apparently nearly 

 unknown in other countries, except as introductions from North 

 America. Seedsmen and horticulturists often remark that when 

 any very decided variety of plant is introduced, other varieties of 

 the same general type are likely to at once appear. Gardeners will 

 recall, amongst many other instances, the case of the large-leaf 

 tomatoes, the Mikado, Turner Hybrid and Potato Leaf all appear- 

 ing nearly simultaneously. This curious phenomenon has been 

 forcibly stated by one of our leading seed experts,* as follows : 



" Plants have inherent tendencies to variation which are devel- 

 oped and appear only after years of cultivation. Seedsmen receive 

 every year scores of new potatoes raised from seed, and it is aston- 

 ishing how much resemblance there is in the seedlings of any period 

 of about three years. Thus, a few years ago we had the St. Patrick, 

 Burbank and White Star, which, although distinct varieties and 



* W. W. Tracy, of D. M. Ferry & Co., iu Proc. Sixth Meeting Soc. Prom. Agr^ 

 Sci. 47 (1885). 



