DESCRIPTIONS OF VARIETIES 



73 



branched or with an occasional basal branch; foliage only moderately 

 abundant, medium green, of fairly large leaflets of regular shape, 

 in 4s, slightly whitened, and almost bloomless, and stipules slightly 

 larger than the leaflets, more whitened and with some bloom: 

 flowers at 8th or 9th node, pods single, on long stalks neither slender 

 nor stocky; quite even, ranging from slightly above to slightly below 

 3 inches, with exceptional ones somewhat above or considerably 

 below the average, moderately broad only, but very plump, straight, 

 well filled, blunt to square at the ends, with small, straight tips; 

 peas average 5, very large, tend to wrinkle when still tender, seldom 

 indented and between oval and oblong in vertical section; both 

 pods and peas medium green in color, rather darker than those of 

 Gradus peas medium sized to rather large, mixed cream and green 

 in color and well wrinkled. Its season is about that of Gradus, 

 some finding it a day or two earlier, others a few days later than that 

 variety. It is usually decidedly more productive. 



King Edward (Ref. 58), which is distinct from 

 King Edward VII and Edward VII, was introduced in 

 1907 by Sutton and has been grown in the United States 

 Department of Agriculture tests, and at the University 

 of British Columbia, the source of the seeds used in our 

 recent tests. 



It is a dwarf Ne Plus Ultra, 3 feet tall; with foliage rather 

 more abundant and much darker, with leaflets sometimes notched, 

 or " stepped," near the tips; blossoming much higher up on the 

 stem, 15th node; pods very large, 3 ' ■> to 4 'a inches long, broad, 

 only moderately plump and often deceptive, enlarging before the 

 peas are of edible size, usually rather long rounded but occasionally 

 almost blunt, as in English descriptions, light in color, smooth and 

 pleasing in appearance; peas 6 to 8, large, smooth, oval oblong, 

 whitish green. The season is about that of Ne Plus Ultra; and the 

 crops under Station conditions were only fair to good; tho in England 

 it is recommended as one of the most productive peas. 



Snowdrop (Refs. 56, 57) was introduced by Carter 

 before 1908, in which year it received an Award of Merit 

 from the Royal Horticultural Society. It is said to be a 

 cross between Early Morn and Express, the combination 

 resulting in a second early pea of Ne Plus Ultra type. 

 Snowdrop was listed in Carter's American catalogs, and 

 undoubtedly was grown here to a limited extent; while 

 the Early Snowdrop of the second reference is probably 

 the same; as Snowdrop, in our tests was among the 

 earliest of the Ne Plus Ultra group, pods being ready in 

 56 days from plantings of May 11. It was very similar 

 to Thos. Laxton with which Early Snowdrop is also 

 compared. The leaflets and stipules of Snowdrop were 

 smaller than those of Thos. Laxton and lighter in 

 color, but the pods and peas were of better color, the 

 latter being dark gray-green. The crops were about 

 the same, good to very good. 



Routledge Prize (Ref. 62) originated in New 

 Zealand and was brought to America in 1918 by Rout- 

 ledge. As grown here: 



Rather short-stemmed (2'£ to 3 feet), unbranched, foliage 

 almost scanty, medium green, of large broad leaflets and much 

 larger, deeply clasping stipules, both decidedly whitened; flowers 

 single, white, from 16th node; pods on stocky stalks of medium 

 length, fully half an inch longer than those of Ne Plus Ultra (3J^ to 

 4' s inches i, very plump, and without distinct tips, but otherwise 

 of the same shape and similar in color ; peas 8 or 9, very large, 

 indented, oblong, medium green in color and of very good quality; 

 seeds almost indistinguishable from those of Thos. Laxton, but 

 with a bluish shade overspreading the cream color and modifying 

 the green. Routledge Prize was a few days earlier than Ne Plus 

 Ultra and one of the best croppers of the group. 



Sutton Alliance (Ref. 63) was introduced by 

 Sutton in 1920; and has been grown at this Station from 

 the originator's and Idaho Station seed. 



Plants rather dwarf, 2} 4 ' to 2 Ji feet, of Ne Plus Ultra type, 

 sparingly branched and with abundant dark, bluish green foliage; 

 pods smooth, 3 ' 2 to 4 ' s inches long, broader than those of Ne 

 Plus Ultra, often enlarged at the tips and with rounded to blunt 

 ends and short, wide tips, attractive medium green, not filling well 

 under our conditions, usually showing many abortive peas; peas 

 3 to 7 or more, exceedingly large, very smooth-surfaced, round- 

 oval or oblong in shape and not compressed or indented, dark green; 

 seeds very large, mixed cream and green as sown but nearly all 

 green as harvested, and almost dimpled or coarsely wrinkled. 

 The crop was as late or later than that of Ne Plus Ultra, and only 

 fair under our conditions, as the pods were never paired, tho said 

 to be more often paired than single in England. 



Another Alliance is described in the Wrinkled, 

 Cream-seeded group. 



Liberty (Ref. 64) was introduced by Sharpe about 

 1921; and has probably not been grown in the United 

 States except at the Idaho Station, here, and on United 

 States Department of Agriculture plats. The plants are 

 hardly of Ne Plus Ultra type: 



Height under 3 feet; stems stout, usually with basal branches; 

 foliage dense, very dark blue green, not whitened, with non-char- 

 acteristic leaflets in 6s and much larger, deeply clasping, sharp- 

 tipped, stipules, finely serrate to above the middle; pods start at 

 the 15th node, on long very heavy stalks, singly or in pairs, the 

 longest of any described for the Ne Plus Ultra group, usually 4J4 

 to 4l<j inches, occasionally only 3 3 4 or almost 5 inches, tending to 

 curve slightly, but otherwise of Ne Plus Ultra type, very dark in 

 color with heavy bloom; peas 5 to 7 or more, also very dark green, 

 smooth, round and not indented, oval in vertical section and smaller 

 than most of those in the group; seeds of medium size, dimpled to 

 coarsely wrinkled, largely cream in color. Liberty was in season 

 with Ne Plus Ultra, pods ready in about 10 weeks from sowing May 

 10; and gave a good yield. 



TELEPHONE GROUP 



Probably no other group of modern peas consists of 

 so many varieties so similar in type as that based on 

 Telephone. Little " ancient history " of the group can 

 be given, since Telephone itself is a selection, only, from 

 a cross-bred pea, Telegraph, neither of whose reputed 

 parents resembles Telephone ; therefore it would be with- 

 out significance to follow either line back. 



Sutton's Goliah, or Goliath, may have been a 

 Telephone -like pea, as is the pea so named much later 

 grown in America. If so, it is probably the oldest of 

 the group. 



Laxton Superlative, a variety a few years older than 

 Telephone, appears to be the first one very similar to it, 

 tho of entirely different breeding. It undoubtedly 

 entered, directly or indirectly, into the make-up of 

 several of the succeeding large-podded additions to the 

 Telephone group. In the following discussion of varie- 

 ties, Superlative is first described, briefly, by comparison 

 with Telephone. The latter variety so closely corre- 

 sponds to most of the other varieties in the group that it, 

 alone, is described in detail, the others being connected 

 with this fundamental description by similarities, or 



