170 maine agricultural experiment station. i915. 

 Old Fashioned Yellow Eye. 



As mentioned above, Tracy* describes a "Yellow Eye Field" 

 bean which corresponds very well with what is generally known 

 in this State as the Old Fashioned Yellow Eye. Of this bean 

 Tracy says that it is a very old variety listed by seedmen at 

 least since 1874. It was formerly much more grown than now. 

 It is distinct from and of about the same usefulness as the 

 Improved Yellow Eye. It resembles this latter variety more 

 than any other, but has narrower, flatter seeds with a smaller 

 area of yellow. He further says that the eye is of "about the 

 same color and shape as the Golden Eyed Wax" of which he 

 gives a figure. 



From the information gathered by us it appears that this Old 

 Fashioned Yellow Eye was formerly grown much more ex- 

 tensively in this State than at present. On the other hand, one 

 gains the idea throughout the State that the Old Fashioned 

 type is again becoming more popular. Whether it is really 

 more widely grown than a few years ago, it is difficult to say. 



Boston bean merchants in general say that outside of Maine 

 there is practically no demand for the Old Fashioned type of 

 bean. They tell us that when they receive a lot of these beans 

 (most of which are grown in Maine) they are largely sent to 

 jobbers and retailers in Maine for sale within this State. Under 

 such conditions there is not the same wide market for the Old 

 Fashioned Yellow Eye that there is for the improved type. 



The only exception to this statement which we have been 

 able to learn of is contained in a letter from Chas. H. Stone & 

 Company, Produce Commission Merchants, 9 Chatham Row, 

 Boston. They say : "Our experience, however, is a little dif- 

 ferent from that which you found in that we have always been 

 able to get a better price for the old fashioned Yellow Eye 

 than we have for the improved type." 



"You speak of the "improved" as by far the best seller in 

 the Boston market. This, as we said before, has not been our 

 experience, but possibly it may have been with other dealers. 

 Also you speak of there being no demand for old fashioned 

 Yellow Eyes outside of Maine. While there is always a 

 demand for the old fashioned in Maine we have found a good 



*Loc. cit. 



