108 AMERICAN VARIETIES OF GARDEN BEANS. 



History. — Type was first introduced in 1887 by W. Atlee Burpee & Co. as Burpee's 

 Perfection Wax and later known also as Violet Flageolet Wax and Purple Flageolet 

 Wax. Derived from the German variety listed about 1885 as Flageolet Wax. 



Illustrations. — Snap pods may be described by reference to Currie's Rustproof 

 Wax (PI. VIII, 1), the chief difference being that pods are very much larger, 

 flatter, and more curved than shown in illustrations of that \*ariety, while surface 

 is nearly as rough as that of Canadian Wonder (^Pl. X, 2) ; cross sections of snap pods are 

 similar to Detroit Wax (PI. V, 16). 



REFUGEE WAX. 



Listed by G7 seedsmen. Seeds tested: Burpee, 1901; Ferry, 1900, 190.3-1905; Hen- 

 derson, 1901; Keeney, 1904, 1906; Rice, 1905, 1906; Rogers. 1904; Sioux, 1906; Thor- 

 burn, 1906. 



Description of stringless type. — Plant large-medium, very spreading in habit, with 

 many runner-like branches falling loosely over ground, slender stemmed, wholly 

 green, intermediate-late in season, long in bearing period, heavily productive. Leaf 

 small, light grayish green in color, very narrow across leaflets, and of very smooth 

 surface. Flowers pink. Snap pods uniform in size, of medium, length, slightly 

 curved, round, light yellow in color, Ijrittle, stringless, without fiber, of good quality, 

 slightly subject to anthracnose. Point of pod medium in size, very much curved, 

 almost hooklike in shape. Green shell pods borne mostly below foliage, generally 

 sparingly splashed with faint purple, full on outside between seeds, aljout 4f inches 

 long, and usually containing 5 seeds crf)wded in pod. Dry pods somewhat hard to 

 thrash. Dry seeds medium in size, slender, roundish through cross section, trun- 

 cate or rounded at ends, straight at eye, bluish black, fairly splashed with pale buff. 



Description of stringy type. — Same as above, except more heavily productive, mod- 

 erately curved pod point, stringy, of inapjjrecialde fiber, with green shell pods gen- 

 erally 5 inches long and usually containing 5 or 6 seeds. 



Comparison of stringless type. — ^Well known and largely cultivated, l)Ut not one of 

 the twelve most largely gi-own sorts. A good all-round variety suitable for home or 

 market, succeeding well in all sections, though apparently doing l^etter at the 

 North than at the South. Consideralily later than most wax sorts and except Keeney's 

 Rustless Golden Wax quite unlike any wax bean in habit t)f vine. Variety is given 

 its name because of similarity in seed and vine to the green-podded Refugee-variety. 

 Pods more like Prolific Black Wax than any other, differing principally in color of 

 seed and in more slender, faintly splashed pods with curved or hooklike pod point. 



Comparison of stringy type. — Although not so extensively grown or of quite as good 

 quality, this strain is nevertheless decidedly more hardy, productive, vigorous, larger 

 podded, and better suited for market than the stringless typ^ described above, but 

 because of stringiness it is not always as well liked for home use. The two types 

 are sometimes mixed by seedsmen, thereby producing such unevenness in size that 

 the stronger growing plants of the stringy type often crowd out the weaker growing 

 plants of the stringless type. 



Synonyms of stringless type. — Bolgiano's Wax, Keeney's Refugee Wax, Livingston's 

 Pencil Pod Wax, Profusion Wax, Thorburn's Refugee Wax. 



Synonyms of stringy type. — Epicure Wax, Ferry's Refugee Wax. 



History. — The first ty})e of this bean, which was introduced in 1890 by J. M. Thor- 

 burn (& Co. as Thorbm'n's Refugee Wax, is said to have been derived from Extra 

 Early Refugee. The present stringless type, which is now used not only by J. M. 

 Thorburn & Co., but also by most other seedsmen, was a selection from the old Thor- 

 buru stock made by N. B. Keeney &. Son soon after the introduction of Thorburn's 

 Refugee Wax. Most stocks of the present stringy type are derived from a s(!lecti(m 

 made by D. ^I. Ferry & Co. from the old stringy type of .1. M. Thorburn ct Co. 



109 



