Red Shellout 



Over a decade ago crosses were made between Flash and the White Runner 

 bean, Phaseolus multi floras. The interspecific hybrid had bright scarlet 

 flowers similar to the Scarlet Runner bean. During germination, the cotyle- 

 dons of Flash, similar to all common beans, come above the soil. Con- 

 trastingly, seeds of the runner beans remain below the ground much like 

 a garden pea. Cotyledons of the hybrid plants came just to the soil sur- 

 face. However, the hybrids proved self-unfruitful in the greenhouse. Resort 

 was made to cuttings of the tall climbing hybrids. Many cuttings rooted 

 readily when placed in bottles of water. Potted rooted cuttings were trans- 

 planted to a field where horticultural beans grew nearby. Bumblebees 

 visited the red flowers of the hybrid bean plants, as well as the flowers of 

 the other beans, and as a result sufficient mature seeds were obtained from 

 the hybrids to make possible a second generation. It is presumed that the 

 seeds came mostly from backcrossing with the common bean, though it 

 has been possible to secure backcrosses to the runner beans, as well. Selec- 

 tion in the third generation and through subsequent generations was for 

 fertile plants having the dominant red flower characteristic. 



Finally after 15 or 16 generations of plants had been grown, some in the 

 field and others in the greenhouse, it was possible to get true-breeding lines 

 having certain desired plant characteristics. A particularly productive line, 

 with red seed color similar to Scarlet Beauty, has light red flowers which 

 not only beautify the plants but aid in their identification. This new bush 

 variety has been named Red Shellout. It was so named because it is antici- 

 pated that its fullest usefulness may be realized when the beans are offered 

 for sale shelled from the pods. The shelled beans are put into quart berry 

 baskets for display in certain local markets. 



It is anticipated that Red Shellout, or a similar type, may eventually 

 find use for commercial canning of shell beans packed in glass containers 

 since the cooked seeds retain their attractive reddish color. All other varie- 

 ties, except Scarlet Beauty, cook an appetizing brownish color somewhat 

 like baked beans. The dry beans of Red Shellout when baked also retain 

 some of their red color, have a pleasant grainy texture, and have been 

 rated excellent in flavor. 



Sweetheart Beet 



In 1949, a sugar beet, U. S. 4^225, that had been received from Dr. G. H. 

 Coons, United States Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, Maryland, was 

 included among varieties of table beets grown in variety trials at Durham, 

 New Hampshire. Samples of the several varieties were canned'"' and taste- 

 tested later by a panel of judges. The interesting fact was learned that 

 most people preferred the canned sugar beet to all others except for its 

 white color. Hence it was decided to originate a red table beet having the 

 sweetness of the sugar beet. 



Roots of U. S. +t225 sugar beet and Detroit Dark Red table beet were 

 forced in the greenhouse and when they began to flower were placed in 

 close proximity. Merely by tapping the stems of the plants, clouds of the 



* Miss Frances Platts, Home Economics Department, cooperated hy preparing 

 canned samples of the beet varieties. 



7. 



