446 LEGUMINOUS PLANTS. 



Early Bachel. A low-growing, branching variety, twelve to 

 fifteen inches high ; flowers white ; the pods are five inches 

 and a half long, green while young, becoming paler or 

 greenish-yellow as they approach maturity, cream-white 

 when ripe, and contain five seeds. 



Planted early in the season, the variety blossomed in 

 about seven weeks; and in eight weeks the young pods 

 were fit for use. Pods for shelling were plucked in ten 

 weeks, and the crop ripened in eighty days. For the green 

 pods, the seeds may be planted till the middle or twentieth 

 of July. 



The ripe seed is yellowish-brown, white at one of the ends, 

 kidney-shaped, often abruptly shortened, five eighths of an 

 inch long, and a fourth of an inch thick. Nearly two 

 thousand are contained in a quart. 



The Early Rachel is hardy, and moderately productive, 

 and, as an early string-bean, may be desirable ; but as a 

 shell-bean, green or dry, it is of little value. In common 

 with many other early sorts cultivated as string-beans, the 

 pods, though crisp and tender at first, soon become too tough 

 and parchment-like for use. In general, the pods of the 

 later sorts remain crisp and tender a much longer period 

 than those of the earlier descriptions. 



Early Valen- Plant about sixteen inches high, with small, 



tine. 

 VALENTINE, yellowish-green leaves and white flowers ; the 



pods are comparatively short, usually four and a half or five 

 inches long, sickle-shaped, almost cylindrical, green while 

 young, yellow when ripe, and contain five seeds. 



The variety is productive, and quite early, though not one 

 of the earliest. Sown at the commencement of the season, 

 the plants blossomed in six weeks, produced pods for use 

 in about seven weeks, and ripened in thirteen weeks, or 

 ninety days, from the time of planting. Planted after the 



