DESCRIPTIONS OF VARIETIES 



43 



in 1834. A later reference says it doubtless originated 

 from Blue Prussian and returns to it on poor soil. It 

 evidently became much more widely spread than its 

 companion, and reached America in 1859, where it was 

 considered " very fine and productive." 



English descriptions make it 2 ' 2 to 3 feet tall ; stem simple or 

 occasionally branched; foliage dark green, whitened, pods 12 to 

 18, usually in pairs, dark green in color, much curved from base to 

 tip, flattened; peas 9-10, of better quality than those of Blue 

 Prussian; seeds irregularly oval and light or dark blue in color. 

 It was later than White Sickle and matured over a long season, 

 making it a favorite of market gardeners. 



Laxton Supreme. Refs. 25, 26; Hovey Cat. 

 1869; Roy. Hort. Soc. Jour. 12:35. 1890. Supreme 

 was one of Laxton's first seedling peas, and for many 

 years after 1867 was said to be the result of a cross 

 between Prolific Long-pod and Little Gem; but in 1890 

 Laxton gave the parentage as Advancer by Prizetaker, 

 a more probable origin when the plant characters are 

 considered. The variety was introduced in 1868 by 

 Carter and reached both France and America in the 

 following year, and Germany very soon. It was grown 

 at the Station in 1884 under its own name, and in 1885, 

 from seeds sent from France under the name Green 

 Auvergne, the identity of the two escaping notice, but 

 the descriptions (partly from manuscript notes) vary 

 in no essential details 



This Supreme and one later put out by Sutton, 

 grown here in recent tests, are quite unlike. 



Laxton Supreme was very much like the old Auvergne but 

 with taller, stronger stems, shorter jointed and more branched, and 

 with larger, more whitened leaflets and stipules; pods began slightly 

 lower on the stem, about the 11th or 12th node, were more often 

 paired, rather shorter and less curved, broader and decidedly more 

 plump, often being thicker than wide, and saddle-backed. They 

 were beautiful pods, very well filled with 6-8 roundish, often com- 

 pressed peas. The seeds were indented or slightly wrinkled, rather 

 dull green, tinted cream or bluish white. The crops were quite 

 good, but late, maturing gradually. 



Carter Hundredfold. Refs. 28; Jour. Hort. 

 13:83. 1870; Bliss Cat. 1873; Hogg Gard. Yr. 

 Book 14:145. 1873. This pea, entirely distinct 

 from Sutton Hundredfold, was first noticed in 1869, 

 and was advertised the next year by Carter. Some 

 early references credit it to Thos. Laxton, and call it 



a cross between Laxton Prolific Long-pod and Ne Plus 

 Ultra; others say it was in a collection of seedling peas 

 grown by Carter from crosses of Laxton's peas, and 

 ascribe to it the same parentage; but Laxton himself 

 said it was not originated by him, nor did he believe 

 the parentage given correct, as his Prolific Long-pod 

 had not, in 1869, been introduced long enough for it 

 to be the parent of a variety with any considerable 

 amount of seed stock. It was mentioned in an American 

 periodical in 1870 and listed by Bliss in 1873, but appar- 

 ently little grown here. It did not disappear from 

 English lists until after 1900, but was never widely 

 grown. It was included in recent U. S. Department of 

 Agriculture tests. 



It was a tall, late variety, prolific, with long, curved, deep 

 green pods, having long-rounded ends; notable for the fine color 

 of the peas which was retained after cooking. For this reason it 

 received its synonym " Cook's Favorite." It was often compared 

 with Carter Supreme; but its seeds were smooth and olive green 

 in color, those of Supreme, wrinkled and mixed cream and green; 

 and its pods rather wider and more curved. 



Hogg says this is the same as Prizetaker, and his 

 figure of the pod of Prizetaker corresponds to the above 

 description. Prizetaker is discussed in the Dimpled- 

 seeded group. 



SABRE SECTION 



Sabre. Refs. 37; Gard. Mo. 19:242. 1877. 

 Two Sabre peas were grown at the Station, White in 

 1884 and Green in 1886, both from German seed, but 

 neither variety has found favor either in the United 

 States or England, tho said in 1877 to be most highly 

 esteemed for earliness and productivity of all peas grown 

 by market gardeners near Paris. In 1920 it was by no 

 means so popular there. Sabre was also grown here 

 in 1926 from seed produced at McMillan, Mich. It has 

 apparently not changed in 40 years. 



Height from 2 ! 2 to 4 feet, according to season : stems rather 

 stout, rarely branched; foliage medium green, slightly whitened; pods 

 from about the 13th node, rarely paired, light green in color, moder- 

 ately broad, very plump, and strongly curved forward from base to 

 the rounded end; peas 5 to 9, averaging 7 in the last test, roundish 

 or long oval, often compressed; dry seeds of medium size, and cream 

 or green in color according to the strain. It was fairly productive, 

 with pods ready in midseason. 



DIMPLED-SEEDED GROUP 



The varieties of peas included in our Dimpled- 

 seeded group are united by only one characteristic, a 

 similarity in seed surface and shape; and often differ 

 considerably even in that one. In other respects they 

 make a decidedly heterogeneous collection, including 

 sub-groups quite dissimilar in plant, foliage and pod 

 characters. The pods are usually large, making many 

 varieties in the group very attractive market -gardeners' 

 peas; and the quality is generally much better than that 

 of the smooth peas. Indeed some of the recent additions 

 to the group compare quite favorably with wrinkled 

 peas; and the hardiness of the seeds permits early sowing 

 and gives comparatively early crops altho the actual 

 time required for growth ranks most of the varieties 

 as second early or later. In markets where the supply 



is largely local, these " dimpled " peas fill a distinct and 

 useful place. Too often, however, they are sold for 

 Gradus, Telephone or peas of even better quality. 



Distinguishing characteristics. — The basis upon 

 which the group rests is, primarily, the surface appear- 

 ance of the ripe, dry peas; and, secondarily, the general 

 shape of these seeds. 



No variety has been placed in the group if the seeds 

 are nearly round and the seed coat smooth or merely 

 marked with small deep pits like those on a thimble, 

 such as characterize many of the better Alaska types; 

 nor, on the other hand, if, though oval or angular in 

 shape, they are nearly covered by a network of fine 

 folds and ridges. The depressions of the surface which 

 characterize dimpled peas are quite shallow and wide, 



