KIDNEY BEANS. 55 



Synonyvis of late type.— Breck's String and Shell, Sion House Forcing, Sutton's 

 Dwarf Forcing. 



Syrionyins of early /{//)«'.— Earliest Green Pod, Isbell's Earliest, Shipper's Favorite. 



i/isfory.— Originated in Germany, and first listed in this country about 1876. 



///)/s/ra/io??s.— Dry seeds of late type are shown on Plate I, 17; those of early type 

 on Plate I, 18; snap pods of late type on Plate XI, 3; green shell pods of early type 

 resemble in shape and size the short pods often found in Boston Favorite (PI. XIV, 4), 

 differing principally in being smaller and narrower; cross section of snap pod of late 

 type is about as wide as Black Valentine iPl. V, 14). but much larger in size; cross 

 section of snap pod of early type is similar to Mohawk (Pl.V, 17). 



BLACK TURTLE SOUP FIKLD. 



Listed by 4 seedsmen. Seeds tested: Dreer, 1905; Moore and Simon, 1904. 

 Description.— Flant verj-- large, very spreading, with low-growing branches and run- 

 ners of more or less creeping habit, very thick stemme*!, and dark jnu-ple in color, late 

 in season as snaps and Held beans, of very long bearing period . very heavily productive. 

 Leaf large, very dark green, varying to solid dark purple when old, very wide across 

 leaflets, of rough surface. Flowers pink. Snap pods uniform in size, long, slender, 

 curved, flat, dark green, tinged with dark Iduish purple, very tough, very stringy, of 

 much liber, very poor in quality, very free from anthracnose. Point of pod medium 

 in length and slightly curved. Green shell pods borne well below foliage, of coarse 

 surface, varying in color from dark green to solid dark purple, depressed between 

 seeds, about 5if inches long and usually containing 7 to 9 seeds fairly close in potl. 

 Dry pods very easy to thrash. Dry seeds very small, proportionally short, flattish 

 oval through cross section, rounded or truncate at ends, straight or slightly incurved 

 at eye, solid black in color. 



Co77i/)ariso>i.— Strictly a field variety and gi-own to a small extent in parts of Califor- 

 nia and New York for the foreign population and for seaboard use, being especially 

 adapted for latter purpose because of its ability to withstand moisture better than most 

 other sorts. Dry l>eans are quite different in flavor and (juality from other varieties 

 grown in this country and are in some demand for use in making certain kinds of soups. 

 Pods decidedly too tough for snaps, too dull purple in color, too small seeded for green 

 shell beans, and vines too late, coarse-growing, and spreading in habit for general cul- 

 tivation. Pods similar in color to Blue Pod Butter and in shape more resemljling the 

 flat-podded type of Southern Prolific Pole than any bush variety, differing principally 

 in shorter, narrower pods more curved at tip end. 



Synonyms. — Black Spanish, Tampico, Turtle Soup. 



History. — Cultivated in this country at least since 1845. 



Illustrations. — Dry seeds are shown on Plate III, 17; snap pods on Plate XIII, 4; 

 cross section of snap pods is similar to the flat-podded type of Southern Prolific (PL 

 V, 2), differing principally in flatter shape. 



BLACK VALENTINE. 



Listed by 26 seedsmen. Seeds tested: Henderson, 1902; Keeney, 1904-1906; Tait, 

 1905; Thorburn, 1905. 



Description. — Plant large-medium, fairly erect, with occasional drooping branches 

 but without real runners, thick stemmed, green throughout, slightly purplish tinged 

 at nodes of stem and flower branches, early intermediate in season, of moderate bear- 

 ing period, moderately to heavily productive. Leaf medium in size, narrow across 

 leaflets, medium green in color. Flowers pink. Snap pods very uniform, long, 

 straight, almost round, dark green, tough, very stringy, of much fiber, of p(jor quality, 

 fairly free from anthracnose. Point of pod long, slightly curved. Green shell pods 



109 



