78 AMERICAN VARIETIES OF GARDEN BEANS. 



California Branch, Calil'ornia Pea, California Tree, California Wonder, Early Minne- 

 sota, June Bush, Marrow Pea, Mountain, Prizewinner, Salzer's Tree, bvit sometimes 

 Day's Leafless Medium, White Man-ow, and other field sorts are also used for these 

 varieties. 



History. — Listed by American seedsmen under this name at least since 1872. 



Illustrations. — Dry seeds are shown on Plate IV, 2; cross section of snap pods on 

 Plate V, 3; and green shell pods on Plate XIII, 3; leaf is similar to Snowflake (PI. 

 XXIII, 5). 



NE PLUS ULTRA. 



Listed by 5 seedsmen. Seeds tested: Burpee, 1901; Denison, 1903; Farquhar, 

 1904, 1905; Thorburn, 1897, 1900-1902; Weeber & Don, 1906. 



Description. — Plant small-medium in size, very erect, without runners or spreading 

 branches, somewhat slender stemmed, green tlrroughout, very early, short in bearing 

 period, moderately productive: Leaf medium in size, medium green in color, smooth. 

 Flowers light pink. Snap pods very uniform, long, slightly curved, oval-flat through 

 cross section, light green, very tough, very stringy, of much fiber, of poor quality, 

 free from anthracnose. Point of pod long and straight. Green shell pods borne both 

 above and below foliage, never colored or splashed, slightly depressed between seeds, 

 about 5| inches long and usually containing about 6 seeds fairly close in pod. Dry 

 pods very easy to thrash. Dry seeds of medium size, long, roundish oval through 

 cross section, solid brownish ocher in color except minute brown area around eye. 



Comparison. — Little known or planted in this country, but a standard variety in 

 Europe, where it is largely used for forcing in greenhouses. In America its usefulness 

 is about same as described for Long Yellow Six Weeks, and pods and vines are more 

 like that variety than any other, differing principally in productiveness, earlier season, 

 and smaller, narrower, straighter, tougher pods. Also similar to Vienna Forcing. 

 Considerable difference exists in stocks of this variety, the type here described being 

 that of iHe earlier, narrower podded strain, which seems to be more 'generally rec- 

 ognized than the one which is about same as Long Yellow Six Weeks. 



History. — Brought over from England about 1880. 



Ulustrations. — Snap pods and cross section are similar to Vienna Forcing (PI. XII, 

 2, and PI. V, 5, respectively). 



PROLIFIC TREE FIELD. 



Listed by 24 seedsmen. Seeds tested: Farquhar, 1902; Hastings, 1905; Johnson & 

 Stokes, 1897. 



Description. — Plant very large, very spreading, with many runners lying loosely 

 over ground, slender stemmed, green throughout, very late as snaps and field beans, 

 very long in bearing, very heavily productive. Leaf very small, medium green. 

 Snap pods very uniform in size, short, straight, flat, becoming almost round at green 

 shell stage, very light green in color, very tough, very stringy, of much fiber, very 

 poor in quality, very free from anthracnose. Point of pod short and straight. Green 

 shell pods borne mostly below foliage, never colored or splashed, depressed on 

 outside between seeds, about 4^ inches long, and usually containing 6 or 7 seeds 

 crowded in pod. Dry pods very easy to thrash. Dry seeds small, very short, or 

 almost as wide as long, roundish oval through cross section, generally well rounded at 

 ends, full or rounded at eye, solid white. 



Comparison. — A standard field variety of the United States. Wholly unsuited for 

 snaps and green shell beans and grown only for dry seed. More like Navy Pea than 

 any other, differing principally in larger vines, pods, seeds, and much later season. 



Synonym. — Mexican tree and many other names of local origin are often applied to 

 this variety, but as is common in field beans these names are very loosely used and 

 often applied to several different types of field varieties. 



109 



