46 



THE VEGETABLES OF NEW YORK 



and always above, medium green foliage, moderately abundant, 

 slightly whitened and without much bloom, consisting of noo 

 characteristic leaflets in fours and stipules only slightly larger, 

 with blunt to rounded tips, sharply toothed below and shallowly 

 abo\ i I* ~th or 8th node, usually single on moderately 



long, slender stalks nearly 4 inches in length. 



broad, quite pi . ht. with i rounded, tipless 



ends, medium grevn, usually not very well filled: peas usually A to 

 6. la: indented, or oval, medium green, seeds typically 



dimpled. * I val in shape, bright cream in color, with some 



green, the amount of green and the degree of wrinkling varying 

 decidedly according to strain and season. Seeds of the later intro- 

 duced and improved strains showed more of the green pigmentation. 



The Station crops were not large, but were ready 

 for picking in 60 days or less from rather late plantings. 

 The comparative earliness and large size of the pods 

 making Pilot a very good pea for market. 



Manner's Early Market and Hartner's Miracle 

 are apparently local names for Pilot or Pilot strains. 



I ighl Weeks. Refs. Ill, 112. Carter introduced 

 this pea about 1903, claiming for it the good points 

 of its parents, American Wonder and William the 

 First. 



It is the dwarfest of the group, growing only about 1 foot 

 high on the Station grounds, but producing a very good crop of pods 

 similar to those of Pilot but averaging slightly shorter, not quite 

 as broad, occasionally slightly curved, and of better color. The 

 pointed ends, due to undeveloped peas, detract somewhat from 

 the attractiveness of the pods. Plants small, stocky, with few 

 basal branches; the 4 to 6 large peas of good color and fair quality; 

 and the ripe seeds are slightly smaller than those of Pilot, 

 105 to 120 to the ounce, and less dimpled, otherwise similar. Some 

 pods were ready for picking in from 50 to 60 days, the time varying 

 with time of planting and season. Eight Weeks, Early Eight 

 Weeks and Extra Early Eight Weeks were names under which 

 different lots of seed were received: all were alike in season, and 

 bear heavily, so that good crops can be secured from comparatively 

 small areas. 



Kelwaj Beauty. Refs. 138: Randall-McLaughlin 

 Cat. 1920. Kelway Beauty appears as a " novelty " 

 in the 1919 catalog of the firm, but as it was listed in 

 America in 1920, it probably originated considerably 

 earlier. 



As tested at the Station for three seasons, it is of dwarf type, 

 2 feet; stems moderately stout, semi-erect, unbranched; foliage 

 moderate in amount, dark green but whitened, consisting of small, 

 rather long leaflets in 6s and slightly larger, round-tipped stipules; 

 flowers often paired, begin at the 6th or 7th node: pods typical 

 of the group, usually single, on long, thick stalks, nearly 4 inches 

 long, broad, pointed at the end, decidedly light in color and poorly 

 filled; peas averaging only 4 to the pod. large, long oval or oblong and 

 deep green in color: seeds medium-sized, cream-colored, varying as 

 do others of the group. The pods are ready in midseason, and the 

 crops have been only fair. 



Isbell Beauty, introduced by S. M. Isbell Co., 

 Jackson, Mich., is an early selection from Kelway 

 Beauty but is classed as a Wrinkled cream-seeded 

 pea. 



Radio Refs. 137. 138 was new to America in 

 1924. Tho listed by Maule as his, no definite statement 

 was made as to originator, date of origin, or parentage; 

 but a letter from this firm, Apr. 15. 1926. says it came 

 from England and was named and introduced by Maule. 

 Charlton's Radio, as seeds were labeled when received 

 from the test plats of the U. S. Department of Agriculture 



at McMillan, Mich., was grown here in 1926, and tho 

 considerably taller, appears identical in other respects 

 with Radio from Maule and another American firm. 

 Charlton lists Radio, apparently not new, in the catalog 

 of 1924. All three differ slightly in color and roughness 

 of seed coat. 



GREEN SEEDED SECTION 



It is now impossible to separate satisfactorily, either 

 from each other or from several varieties of wrinkled 

 peas, some ten or more varieties of this section of the 

 dimpled -seeded group which originated before, or shortly 

 after, the middle of the last century. Interlocking 

 synonyms, incorrect assignment of synonyms, duplica- 

 tion of names and synonyms, variations in stated dates 

 of origin, and scanty or imperfect descriptions form an 

 impenetrable maze. Fortunately, few of these varieties 

 are important in American pea history, but some dis- 

 cussion of them is necessary as a foundation for the 

 group. These are generally relegated to the subsec- 

 tion of minor varieties. 



Groom Superb. Refs. 8-12; Sinclair Cat. 1839; 

 Burr Fid. Gard. Veg. 526. 1863. This pea was 

 described in 1834 as only 1 ' ■> to 2 feet tall, with 2 ' L >-inch, 

 compact, blunt -ended pods and large peas, the seeds 

 being white and light green. It was even later than 

 Early Green Marrow. Later it was said to have origi- 

 nated with Groom, who sent out seeds of it in 1831. It 

 was considered a distinct dwarf variety of Blue Prussian, 

 with very large and probably indented peas. It was 

 very productive and the peas thought of excellent quality 

 when first introduced, but by 1861 " much surpassed 

 by others." 



It was listed in America in 1839, and described by 

 Burr in 1863, who found it decreasing in popularity tho 

 still grown because of its dwarfness and profuseness. 



Burbidge Eclipse. Refs. 24; Jour. Hort. 18:401. 

 1872. This pea was long grown near Canterbury, 

 Eng., where it was known as Stubbs' Dwarf, from the 

 grower, but nearly 30 years later, about 1849, was intro- 

 duced to commerce by a nurseryman at Buckland, near 

 Dover, who gave it his name, Burbidge, combined with 

 that of a famous racehorse. It was introduced into 

 America almost at once, and continued to be listed 

 here until 1889, at least. Probably Stubbs' Blue 

 Marrow is the same as Stubbs' Dwarf and Burbidge 

 Eclipse. 



It was very dwarf, under 2 feet, unbranched, with dark 

 green but blotched foliage, matured quite early, was prolific and 

 bore long, broad, plump, paired pods containing 5 6 large peas of 

 good quality. The seeds were bluish olive green and slightly 

 indented. 



Prizetaker. Refs. 27-31: Hogg Gard. Yr. Bk. 

 11:83. 1873. Prizetaker, perhaps better known as 

 Beck Prizetaker, and Prizetaker Green Marrow, was 

 one of the most widely grown and most popular peas in 

 England, being pronounced best of 60 varieties grown 

 on Sutton's trial grounds in 1860; was well known in 

 America and was cultivated to some extent in France. 



It was said to be a selection from Bellamy Early 

 Green Marrow, made or developed by Beck, whose name 





