AMERICAN GARDEN-BEAN. 437 



The variety is early. Sown at the commencement of the 

 season, the plants blossomed in six weeks, produced pods for 

 the table in seven weeks, pods for shelling in ten weeks, and 

 ripened in eighty-seven days. It yields well, ripens off at 

 once, and, on account of the thick, parchment-like character 

 of the pods, suffers much less from wet and unfavorable sea- 

 sons than many other sorts. 



As a string-bean, it is of fair quality, good when shelled 

 in the green state, and farinaceous and mild flavored when 

 ripe. 



A half-dwarf variety, growing from two to Blue Pod. 

 three feet high, with a branching stem, deep green foliage, 

 and white flowers. The pods are five inches long, pale 

 green while young, light yellow as the season of maturity 

 approaches, cream-white when fully ripe, and contain five 

 or six seeds. 



Its season is intermediate. The plants blossomed in 

 seven weeks, afforded pods for stringing in eight weeks, 

 green beans in ten or eleven weeks, and ripened in ninety- 

 seven days from the time of sowing. It is a week earlier 

 than the White Marrow, and ten days in advance of the 

 Pea-bean. Plantings may be made as late as the last week 

 in June, which will yield pods for the table in seven weeks, 

 and ripen the middle of September, or in about twelve 

 weeks. 



The ripe seed is white, oblong, flattened, rounded on the 

 back, often squarely or angularly shortened at the ends, half 

 an inch long, and a fourth of an inch thick. Twenty-seven 

 hundred will measure a quart. 



It is a field rather than a garden variety, though the green 



pods are tender and well flavored. If planted in drills two 



feet apart, five pecks of seed will be required for an acre ; or 



four pecks for the same quantity of ground, if the rows are 



37* 



