CHAPTER III 



DESCRIPTIONS OF VARIETIES 



GENERAL NOTES 



In preparation for the descriptions which follow, 

 more than 500 varieties or strains of peas were grown at 

 the Station for two or more seasons between 1922 and 

 192 7. Seeds of these peas were secured from the origi- 

 nators of the varieties wherever possible; otherwise 

 from seedsmen believed to be reliable; but in many cases 

 the choice of source was decidedly limited, the variety 

 being listed in only one or two current catalogs, often 

 not those of the originators. Thus, tho care was taken 

 to secure seed true to name, some errors were revealed 

 and corrected where a known or unknown variety was 

 received for the one desired: and probably other substitu- 

 tions of this nature have escaped notice. To lessen the 

 danger of such errors, one or more of the authors have 

 visited and studied extensive collections of pea varieties 

 at other places, notably those of the U. S. Department of 

 Agriculture at McMillan, Mich., and Washington, D. C; 

 and of the J. B. Rice Seed Co., at Cambridge, N. Y., 

 and have exchanged seeds of many varieties with those 

 in charge of these trial grounds, and those of the N. B. 

 Keeney & Son Co., Leroy, N. Y., the D. M. Ferry Co., 

 Detroit, Mich., the J. H. Allan Seed Co., Sheboygan, 

 Mich., the Rogers Bros. Seed Co., Alpena, Mich., the 

 Clark Seed Co., Milford, Conn., the Idaho, Minnesota 

 and Wisconsin Stations, and the University of British 

 Columbia. Many visits with pea experts connected 

 with some of the above institutions and letters from these 

 and other authorities in pea growing have aided very 

 materially in checking up our data and giving most 

 valuable information relative to pea varieties and their 

 history. The sincere thanks of the authors and of the 

 Station are due and are given to these men and firms, 

 and others whose names are so many that our limited 

 space forbids individual mention. In spite of all such 

 precautions, however, undoubtedly critical study of the 

 material here presented will show many errors of which 

 the authors will be most grateful to know. 



For information regarding old varieties and others of 

 which seed was not available, and for historical data, 

 books, periodicals and catalogs in great number have 

 been consulted. For errors in compilation of such 

 material the authors are responsible, but for the infor- 

 mation itself the works consulted must be given credit. 



For recording characteristics of the varieties grown, 

 check sheets were used, made up in advance of the first 

 season's sowing of peas, on which sheets a place was 

 provided for all characteristics of pea plants, — seeds, 

 stems, foliage, flowers, pods, and peas, — that seemed of 

 horticultural, classificatory, or genetical importance, 

 each characteristic being so subdivided that a simple 

 check mark made the record. Different colored pencils 

 were used in different seasons, so that changes in char- 



acteristics or their degree during the two or more years 

 of growth of the variety could be shown on one card. 

 In most cases notes were taken on the varieties for three 

 seasons. 



In making these sheets, and especially in preparing 

 the data for publication, technical terms were avoided 

 as far as possible, and emphasis placed on those of horti- 

 cultural importance; — for the practical grower rather 

 than for scientists. It is believed that most of the terms 

 used need no explanation, but it is thought well to define, 

 briefly, a few of them: 



Height — Length of main stem extended not quite to breaking 

 point; not distance from ground to top of plant grown on vertical 

 support. 



Node — Enlargement of stem from which originate stipules 

 and leaf and flower stalks; joint. 



Internode — Smooth portion of stem between nodes or joints. 



Shape and size — Of stipules and leaflets, average of specimens 

 taken near center of stem; ot pods, average of at least twenty speci- 

 mens collected as representative. 



Stipules — Leaflike structures, always paired and larger than 

 leaflets, on nodes at base of leaf-stalks. 



Clasping I deeply, lightly) — Degree to which ear-like bases 

 of stipules surround stem. 



Glaucous — With bloom, a powdery natural covering of 

 stipules, leaflets, pods or stems, easily removable by rubbing. 



Peduncle — Main portion of flower- or pod-stalk. 



Pedicel — Short joint of flower- or pod-stalk, connecting 

 peduncle and flower or pod. 



Receptacle — Hard enlargement of upper end of pedicel from 

 which neck of pod starts, surrounded by calyx. 



Calyx — Collection of five sepals. 



Sepals — Small leaf-like persistent floral parts which are 

 attached to receptacle and surround neck of pod. 



Dorsum — Back of pod, with dorsal suture on opposite inner 

 sides of which peas are alternately attached. 



Ventrum — Front of pod, with ventral suture, which splits 

 to allow peas to escape. 



Curved — Pod more or less bowed or arched backward — 

 " hollow-backed " — usually spoken of as recurved; but number of 

 peas with pods curved forward is small, so thought best to use simple 

 term " curved " for varieties generally, with specific mention of 

 exceptions. 



End — Of pod, part remote from neck; used with terms 

 pointed, long-rounded, rounded, short-rounded, blunt, square or 

 protuberant to indicate extent of sharpness or bluntness. 



Tip — Distinctly marked extended end of dorsum of pod. 



Point — Small, threadlike extension of tip found in a few 

 varieties. 



Owing to the great number of varieties to be 

 described, it was soon realized that to mention all char- 

 acteristics for each one, as was done with the major 

 varieties of fruits in the " Fruits of New York," would 

 exceed our allowable limit of space. Accordingly, in 

 discussing the pea varieties, these have been placed in 

 groups in most of which one or more typical varieties 

 are described in detail and the others of the group 

 related to the type by comparison, using resemblances 



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