DESCRIPTIONS OF VARIETIES 



85 



Gem of the Season iRef. 178), credited to Daniels, was 

 introduced about 1885, but probably never regularly in commerce 

 in America. It was grown at the Station in 1926, from seed fur- 

 nished by the U. S Department of Agriculture from its 1925 crop 

 at McMillan, Mich. 



Pods 2 ' 2-3 inches long, plump, blunt ended; peas 4-5. medium 

 sized whitish green, edible in 68 days; seeds regular Extra Early 

 type; crop only fair, ratio of peas to pods not high, quality of the 

 peas not more than fair. 



Smith Extra Early. Refs. 179; notes of Prof Goff. 1885. 

 It is doubtful whether this pea properly belongs in the group; but 

 the name places it here, tho its curved pods would place it in 

 Scimitar group or Senator group, according to unknown character 

 of seed. 



It was found as a " sport (?) of Alpha" by H. N Smith, 

 South Sudbury Mass.. and after careful selection for several years 

 was introduced in 1885. In the Rural Experiment Garden the 

 plants were a foot taller than those of Rural New Yorker, but 

 Prof. Goff found it only 2 ) o feet high. It was decidedly later than 

 the better Extra Earlies, a better bearer, the pods generally paired, 

 of better color, longer but more slender, and more scimitar shaped. 

 Apparently it never attracted much attention. 



Snowflake. Refs 189; Buckbee Car. 1918. Snowflake was 

 a selection from Early Kent, made by Alexander in 1886, but not 

 introduced until 1892; earlier than the parent variety, more dwarf, 

 more prolific, and of better quality. 



This, or some other Snowflake, was called a field pea in 

 1918 



Hampden Earliest. Refs. 193; Vt. Sta. Rpt. 160. 1890. 

 As tested at this Station in 1888 considered a strain of Philadelphia. 

 The seed of this pea came from B. L. Bragg 86 Co., Springfield, 

 Mass., which is near Hampden. The Vermont Station called 

 it early, but the figures for pods per vine and peas per pod make it 

 unproductive. 



Lee Earliest (Ref. 194) is known only by the name. 



Premier Extra Early. Refs. 200; Buist Car. 1913; also 

 letter from Buist, Nov. 24, 1926.) Premier, an Extra Early intro- 

 duced by Buist, was a selection from Daniel O'Rourke and the 

 firm's favorite early pea before Morning Star and was selected from 

 it. It dates prior to 1889, when both strains were listed by 

 Bailey. The introducer specifies earliness and prompt ripening of 

 all pods as prominent characteristics of the pea. 



Early .Morning, Early Morning Star, Morning Star. 

 Refs. 201-204; Kans. Rpt. 152. 1889; letter from Buist, Nov. 24, 

 1926. Since all of these peas, if not identical, came from Buist 

 before, or in, 1889, they are here grouped as one variety. They 

 have no connection with Beck Morning Star, synonymous with 

 Early Emperor ; and they are also quite distinct from the Morning 

 Star of Hammond and that of J. L. Childs (if these are not the 

 samei, of which the seeds are wrinkled. Buist Morning Star was 

 selected from Premier Extra Early. 



Morning Star (seeds from Buist) and Early Morning Star 

 (seeds from Maule) were both grown here for three seasons, and 

 seemed to differ slightly the first year, when the detailed descrip- 

 tions were made; but the differences are probably attributable, in 

 the main, to poor germination of the Early Morning Star seeds 

 and lack of vigor in the plants, which resulted in less abundant foliage 

 and a very poor yield. The crop of Morning Star was better, plant 

 for plant, though still only " good." Morning Star was a day or 

 two earlier than the so-called early strain, its pods longer and 

 averaging one pea more to the pod ; but the pods of the other strain 

 were very plump, being thicker than broad, and the individual peas 

 were larger. These differences diminished in crops grown the 

 second year from the same lots of seed, and disappeared the third 

 year when the two strains were grown from crop seeds of the first 

 year. Data from the early Station trial of Early Morning are 

 incomplete, but do not separate this strain from either of the other 

 two. 



Orange County Morning Star (Ref. 205) may be merely 

 a synonym of Early Morning Star, but no connection is evident 

 between either the Buist Co. or Philadelphia, and Orange County, 

 so it is listed separately. It was offered for sale in 1889. 



Extra Early Challenge. Refs. 208, 209: Currie Cars. 1906, 

 1926. Extra Early Challenge was apparently introduced by Currie 

 previous to, or in 1889; and was said to be very extensively grown 



in 1906. It may be the same as Challenge, later Iowa Challenge, 

 listed by the Iowa Seed Co., and described on page 29. At the 

 Michigan Station it was among the earliest peas, but was not pro- 

 ductive. It was only 1% feet high, which may indicate a poor pea 

 season, and account for the poor yield. It is still carried by the 

 firm introducing it; and its earliness, short season and productiveness 

 are featured. 



Ely, Faust, Johnson & Stokes, Manic, Plant, and Wilson 

 Improved Extra Earlies. Ref. 212. Each of these varieties was 

 listed for sale in 1889, in the catalog of seedsman whose name is 

 attached. 



Forty-two Days (Ref. 2211 was introduced by A. D. Perry 

 & Co., Syracuse, N. Y., previous to 1889, when listed by Bailey. 

 It was carried by Perry's successor for several years, then abandoned 

 for Alaska and the early wrinkled peas. It had a local distribution. 



Eleetric (Ref 224; and unpublished notes), from J. F. 

 Tillinghast, La Plume, Pa., was tested at this Station in 1890. 



It was tall (3' 2 feet), early, productive, with light green foliage 

 having small stipules, and bore straight, pointed pods containing 

 6 small, smooth, whitish peas, not of the best quality. The pointed 

 pods might exclude it from this group. 



Budlong (Ref. 225) was introduced by Leonard before 1890. 

 Tested at the Michigan Station, it was called a strain of First and 

 Best or Extra Early, and was productive, averaging 6-8 pods per 

 vine and 5 peas per pod. 



Nebraska Lightning (Ref. 226) was introduced in 1891 by 

 the Emerson Seed Co., Omaha, Neb. It probably was Carter's 

 Lightning, which came to America shortly before this date. 



Family Garden. Refs. 227; Maule Cat. 1894. Family 

 Garden was introduced prior to 1892 by Maule. It was Maule 

 Extra Early, with its cropping season extended so that it could be 

 used for from one to three weeks from its first edible maturity, at 

 about 45 to 50 days, " an excellent, smooth early pea." A letter 

 from the introducing firm says it is an " improvement on Improved 

 Extra Early " and one Improved Extra Early, at least, is Pedigree 

 Extra Early. As sown in Kentucky on April 29 it was ready in 

 53 days, a scant bearer of large, well-filled pods. 



Extra Early Market Garden. Ref. 228. Johnson & 

 Stokes called this variety, introduced before 1893, a strain of their 

 Selected Extra Early, announced after several years of careful selec- 

 tion. It was said to be IJ2 feet to 2 feet high, earlier than the 

 parent stock, with full, round, dark green pods of strong texture 

 for shipping. In 1893 introducers claimed an annual sale of 5,000 

 bushels of seed of this variety to market gardeners. 



Despot. Refs. 233; letter of Dec. 18, 1926, from Tait. 

 Despot is an old variety, said to have come from Daniel O'Rourke, 

 used in the South for many years because of its dwarf habit, vigorous 

 growth without vininess even in wet seasons, resistance to drouth, 

 and heavy yield of small pods. The peas were only medium in 

 quality. 



Canada Extra Early (Ref. 234 1 was listed by Landreth in 

 1896 as an early pea of somewhat variable quality. 



Evergreen Pod (Ref. 235) was listed as new by Landreth in 

 1896. 



It was said to be l 1 ! feet tall, almost as early as Landreth 

 Extra Early, very productive, with pods very dark green in color, 

 which they retain long Valuable as a shipper. 



New York Market. Ref. 236; Pino Car. 1923. Though 

 listed as a variety, correspondence reveals that, recently at least, 

 this name is applied to any one of several strains of Extra Early, 

 according to the availability and price of the seeds in the current 

 season, and the general reputation for earliness and productivity 

 of the variety selected for the honor. 



Earliest Market (Ref. 236a), listed in 1899 by Elliot, was 

 a very uniform, robust strain of Extra Early, lYt feet tall, with 

 very plump, rounded pods. 



Record Extra Early (Ref. 237) was introduced in 1898 by 

 Johnson & Stokes, and said to be the result of nine years' careful 

 selection from that firm's Extra Early Market Garden. 



Dandy Extra Early. Ref. 238. Michell introduced this 

 variety in 1899 as a selection from the first crop of Eureka Extra 

 Early. 



