During- Queen Victoria's Reign. 5 



Mazagan, Dwarf Fan, Early Longpod, and the White and Green Windsors. These 

 have, of course, been greatly improved upon, but they all remain in use ; though 

 it is somewhat surprising that the Mazagan should be grown at the present time, 

 as in every point it is surpassed by other superior types. 



The fact, however, that Beans in use sixty years ago are still grown seems to show 

 that the advance has been less rapid than in the case of many other Vegetables. 

 The improvement that has been made is almost entirely the result of selection, 

 although the crossing of Seville Longpod and White Windsor has produced a 

 variety sent out by my house as Giant Windsor, which, as its name implies, is a 

 much larger type of the Windsor section than previously existed. 



During the fifties the Seville and the Aquadulce Longpods (very similar sorts) 

 were introduced from the Continent, and on account of their earliness and length 

 of pod have been and still are largely grown, although the constitution of both 

 plants is far less vigorous than that of our English sorts. 



Beck's Green Gem, a sport from the Dwarf White Fan, was introduced in 1858, 

 and some years afterwards the market gardeners in the neighbourhood of Harlington, 

 Middlesex, set to work to improve the Windsor by selection, and as a result of their 

 efforts we have the Harlington White and Green Windsors. 



Painstaking selection has done much in the improvement of the Longpod section, 

 the several strains known as Exhibition being fine and profitable types, the best 

 selections of which, both white and green seeded, sometimes contain as many as 

 eight or nine beans in a pod, contrasting most favourably with the two or three 

 beans found in the pods of the older kinds. The Broad Bean is not only greatly 

 prized in private gardens, but is also an important article of food among operatives ; 

 indeed the efforts made to increase its productiveness have been duly appreciated 

 by all classes of society. 



DWARF FRENCH or KIDNEY BEANS. 



There were several sorts in use when the Queen ascended the throne, but the 

 principal difference lay in the colour of the seed, a feature of little importance, 

 except to those who keep a collection of these diversely coloured and pretty seeds. 

 French Beans were, in fact, frequently named after the colour of, or the markings 

 on the seeds ; to wit, the Zebra, Light and Dark Dun, Red and Purple Speckled, 

 Negro, &c. Fulmer's Forcing, which was in use in 1837, was the chief exception. 

 The scope for improvement is limited to size of pod, earliness, and productiveness, 

 and in the former respect Canadian Wonder, immediately it was introduced, 

 became very popular, while Ne Plus Ultra, an introduction of more recent date, 

 fairly lays claim to being a marked advance over most sorts, both for earliness and 

 productiveness. Besides these, such excellent varieties as Triumph, White-seeded, 

 Forcing, Green Gem, Monster Negro, have appeared, and undoubtedly it may be 

 said that they have come to stay. It was thought that the crossing of this section 

 with the Scarlet Runner might produce useful results ; but although many hybrids 

 combining the broad, massive pods of the Scarlet Runner with the habit of the 

 Dwarf Bean are in the hands of one or two experts, little, if any, advance upon such 

 favourites as Canadian Wonder and Ne Plus Ultra has been made. 



