STUDIES ON BEAN BREEDING. 163 



by the dealers, and the growers will direct their efforts towards 

 the production of beans of the desired types, it will add much 

 to the bean growing industry of the State. 



With a knowledge of these facts, the Experiment Station 

 Council in 191 2 passed a resolution requesting the Station to 

 cooperate with the State Department of Agriculture, the Maine 

 Seed Improvement Association and the Boston Chamber of 

 Commerce, looking towards the establishment of standard types 

 of Maine yellow eye beans. 



During the past three years correspondence has been carried 

 on with many of the growers and dealers within the State in 

 order to learn their ideas regarding these varieties. In addi- 

 tion, personal conferences have been held with members of the 

 Boston Chamber of Commerce and particularly with several 

 of the large bean dealers in Boston. 



Through these efforts definite ideas have been obtained as 

 to what the growers regard as typical of these varieties. Also 

 what is of still more importance, we have learned the types 

 which the dealers want and for which they are willing to pay 

 the highest prices. 



In the foilowmg pages the information obtained in these 

 ways will be discussed. A standard type for each of the 

 classes of beans dealt with will be proposed. In preparing 

 these standards we have kept foremost in mind the demands of 

 the market. It is obviously useless to develop a type of bean 

 for which there is and can be no market. In the second place 

 we have aimed to establish a type which the breeder can easily 

 produce and maintain. 



In doing this it has not always been possible to include the 

 ideas of local growers. For these reasons there will undoubt- 

 edly be some criticism of these standards. This would obvi- 

 ously occur whatever type is selected for a standr.rd. These 

 standard types have been selected after much careful study on 

 our part. However, not being content with our own jadgment 

 in the matter, we have sent the manuscript and figures of this 

 bulletin to the principal wholesale dealers and jobbers in beans 

 in Boston for criticism. The final results embody their sug- 

 gestions, and the standards here proposed are acceptable to 

 them. Consequently if the growers in the State will aim td 

 produce beans of these types they may be assured that their 



