338 NEW JERSEY AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE 



TirE "scarlet runner^'-^tennessee hybrid" (63/43). 



A union of the two species, Phaseolus muUiflorus and Phaseolus 

 vulgaris, is here represented. The former ("Scarlet-Runner") is 

 prized for its long spikes of bright red floAvers, a color not met with 

 among our varieties of P. vulgaris. It has a dark stem and large, 

 dark green leaves, distinguished from those of the common bush 

 form by their smoother surface, resembling somewhat the foliage 

 of the Lima (P. Lunatus). The large, green pod has a rougher 

 surface than the ordinary snap sorts and contain a large, flat seed 

 which may be described as ''mottled purple" and, in size and color, 

 is quite distinct from any bush variety. The "Tennessee" (43) is 

 a standard, green podded, snap bean, with white flowers and brown 

 seeds. 



The blend plants of this hybrid (1905) were all runners (with 

 the exception of an abnoniial form which did not develop), and 

 bore a strong resemblance to "Scarlet Runner" in general plant 

 habit, being easily trained to poles. They bloomed profusely until 

 checked by frost, but the flowers, although of a, decided red, lacked 

 the brilliant scarlet which is characteristic of the climbing parent. 

 The pods, few in number, were between the two parents in size 

 and had the tough quality of the male (63) with smaller seeds of 

 similar coloring ("mottled-purple"). The following season (1906) 

 thirteen first generation plants were grown, showing much variation 

 in habit of groAvth, color of flower, form of pod, size and color of 

 seed, prolificaiess and season. (See Annual Rfiiport, 190Y, pages 

 346-347.) The most promising plant of this set was number four 

 (B-4) which bore the following record: "Plant large and spread- 

 ing, with purplish stem and red flowers, pods medium long, curved 

 green, stands first in prolificness, and, like 63, has a long season. 

 The seeds, packed closely in the pod and angled at the ends, are 

 'grey' in color with fine bluish mottlings, becoming darker near the 

 eye ('grey-mottled')." With this plant as a starting point, cer- 

 tain of its offspring have been selected, particularly with reference 

 to the distinctive flower and seed color of (B-4) in the hope of es- 

 tablishing a type, which shall possess these two characters. The 

 plants of the second generation (1907), grown from the seed of 

 (B-4), numbered thirty-two, the seed colors being grouped as fol- 

 lows: Ten plants similar to the parent ("grey-mottled"), ten 



