AMERICAN GAEDEN-BEAN. 477 



soups and stews. The young pods are tender and well fla- 

 vored ; but its remarkable precocity must be considered its 

 chief recommendation. 



French writers describe the ripe seeds as exceeding the 

 above dimensions ; but specimens received from Paris seeds- 

 men correspond in size, form, and color with the description 

 before given. 



Plant seven feet and upwards in height, with Bhode island 



Butter, 

 large, broad, deep green, wrinkled foliage ; 



flowers rose-white ; the pods are six inches long, nearly 

 three fourths of an inch broad, green while young, paler 

 when more advanced, cream-white and much shrivelled 

 when ripe, and contain seven seeds. 



If planted early in the season, green pods may be plucked 

 for the table in nine or ten weeks, pods for shelling in twelve 

 weeks, and the crop will ripen in a hundred and twenty-three 

 days. Planted early in June, the pods will generally all 

 ripen ; but, if the planting is delayed to the last of the 

 month, the crop will but partially mature, unless the season 

 prove more than usually favorable. The vines will, how- 

 ever, yield a plentiful supply of pods, and also of green 

 beans. 



The seeds, at maturity, are cream-yellow, with well- 

 defined spots and stripes of deep yellowish-buff. They are 

 broad-kidney-shaped, flattened, five eighths of an inch long, 

 and nearly half an inch broad. The cream-yellow gradually 

 changes by age to brown, and the markings become rela- 

 tively darker. Fourteen hundred seeds are contained in a 

 quart, and will plant a hundred and fifty hills. 



The variety yields abundantly, and the large pods are 

 tender, succulent, and excellent for table use. The beans, 

 in their green state, are of good quality, though little used 

 when ripe. 



