Shelleasy 



The te^iting of local heirloom beans resulted in selection ot the Littleton, 

 an early-maturing prolific kind with light-colored mottled pods, and large 

 kidney seeds, having a light buff color with streaks of red. Crosses were 

 made between Flash and Littleton and in due time gave rise to the Shell- 

 easv named in 195L This early bush variety proved more productive than 



Four varieties of horticultural beans. From left to right: Scarlet Beauty, 

 French Horticultural (an old commercial variety). Red Shellout, Shelleasy. 



Flash. Shelleasy averages 5 to 6 seeds per pod and the percentage shellout 

 of green shell beans measured repeatedly as 55 percent has been con- 

 sistently the highest of all varieties tested at Durham. The pods have good 

 outside red color in northern areas with cool summers, but they may be- 

 come somewhat faded under conditions where high temperatures prevail. 

 The variety was named Shelleasy since the pods at the green-shell stage of 

 maturity may be opened readily by just a slight twist. This ease of shell- 

 ing has been much appreciated by those who shell the beans by hand. 

 Also Shelleasy has proved to be adapted to shelling by a machine, such 

 as the rotary-cylinder type of pea huUer. 



Scarlet Beauty 



At the same time crosses were made between Littleton and Flash, crosses 

 were made also between Flash and another local variety called Pittsfield, 

 a pole variety with large pods. This latter cross led to the Scarlet Beauty 

 which was released in 1953. This kind has large seeds with dark red streaks 

 of mottling on a pinkish red background color. The green shell beans of 

 Scarlet Beauty are virtually as bright as a ripe cranberry. Moreover, the 

 attractive red color is retained to a large degree in cooking; all other 

 varieties of green shell beans turn a light brown color when cooked. The 

 large upright bush plants of Scarlet Beauty, while productive under ideal 

 conditions, are rather susceptible to common bean mosaic and leaf-hopper 

 damage. Scarlet Beauty can also be shelled satisfactorily by machine. 



