AMERICAN GARDEN-BEAN. 263 



Europe, and is common to gardens in almost every section 

 of the United States. 



A variety, imported from France twenty years since, and 

 known as the "Excelsior," strongly resembles, if it is not 

 identical with, the Early Valentine. The plants are similar 

 in habit ; the pods have the same form, and solid, fleshy 

 character ; and the seeds, in their ripe state, are of the same 

 size and color. 



Height sixteen inches ; flowers purple ; the Golden 

 pods are five inches and a half long, five- C^D?^' 



. -..-I (i .-ti i -i 'ft ROUND AMERICAN 



eighths oi an inch broad, and contain five KIDNEY. 

 seeds. 



Season intermediate. Early plantings blossomed in seven 

 weeks, yielded pods for the table in eight weeks, and ripened 

 in ninety days. 



The ripe seeds are pale greenish-yellow, with * an olive- 

 green line encircling the eye ; roundish-ovoid, three-eighths 

 of an inch long, and nearly the same in thickness. A quart 

 contains nearly eighteen hundred seeds, and will plant a 

 row, or drill, of two hundred feet, or two hundred and 

 twenty-five hills. 



As a string-bean, or for shelling in the green state, it is 

 inferior to many other varieties, and is little cultivated for 

 use in these forms ; but, as a variety for baking, it is much 

 esteemed, and recommended for cultivation. 



Hardy and productive. 



The plants of this familiar variety are L 0ng Yellow 

 from fourteen to sixteen inches high ; the ^'wE^ 8 ' 

 flowers are pale purple ; the pods are five YE WK!KS. IX " 

 inches long, six-tenths of an inch broad, green 

 at first, gradually becoming paler, cream^yellow when ripe, 

 and contain five (rarely six) beans. 



It is one of the earliest of the Dwarf varieties. Spring 

 plantings were in blossom in six weeks, produced pods for 



