DESCRIPTIONS OF VARIETIES 



89 



Height 2 to 2j£ feet; stems short, sparingly branched at the 

 base, leaflets in 4s, large, and stipules much larger, sharp tipped, 

 glaucous and whitened; flowers greenish-white, from 8th node, 

 sometimes paired but the pods rarely so; latter 3 to 3'_j inches long, 

 quite broad, very plump and often saddle-backed, straight or slightly 

 curved, with rather sharp-pointed ends, often dorsally slanted also, 

 with small tips; peas 4 or 5, large, very smooth, round, oval longi- 

 tudinally, good glistening green in color and of fair quality. In 

 our trials in 1926, from seed grown at McMillan, Mich., Springtide 

 gave a good to very good, early crop. 



White-eyed -Marrowfat (Ref. 90) seems to be listed in the 

 catalogs of one American seedsman only, Allan. It is undoubtedly 

 more grown as a field pea than in the garden. 



As described by Allan its hardy, vigorous vine, 3j^ to 4 feet 

 tall, bears rather leathery pods near the top, these being 3 inches 

 long, blunt -ended, and light green in color. As grown in the Station 

 garden for three seasons, from seed raised at the Idaho Station, it 

 was of good marrowfat type, 3 feet tall, flowering at the 11th node 

 and producing quite large pods and peas. When sown May 22, 

 it produced edible pods in 55 days: but from earlier sowings required 

 nearly nine weeks. The crops were only poor to fair. The seeds 

 were rather large, long, approaching oval, and very smooth, whitish 

 cream in color, but without any noticeable whiteness about the eye. 



SEEDS BLACK EYED 

 Spanish Mullato. Refs. 96-100. This pea, of Spanish 

 origin or coming from Spain to England and France, was of tall, 

 large-seeded, black-eyed type, one of the " leading peas at first 

 tables during reign of George I." With Egg, was " the poor man's 

 pea, being the most hardy and abundant bearers." For a long 

 time in England peas were rich men's luxuries. 



MINOR VARIETIES 



Blue Imperial. Refs. 13-17; Mich. Sta. But 131:31. 

 1896. N. Y. Sta. Rpt. 1:87. 1883. Blue Imperial probably 

 came from Blue Prussian, but has larger leaves, stronger growing 

 plants and shorter season. It presumably originated shortly 

 before it was cataloged in America, in 1824, as Grand Imperial. 



As described a decade later, it was 3 to 4 feet high (with a 

 dwarf form 2 to 3 feet high), unbranched, with short joints; leaves of 

 medium size, dark glaucous green; flowers paired, decidedly green- 

 ish, on short peduncles; pods large, dark green, well filled with peas 

 of good quality, changing to light blue seeds, large and somewhat 

 flattened. Ready at the same time (about 110 days) as Blue Prus- 

 sian but of shorter season; an abundant bearer. As grown at this 

 Station in 1882, and again during three of the past four years, the 

 season was much earlier, 76-79 days; plants 3}/£ to 4 feet high, 

 vigorous, with internodes of medium length, abundant medium 

 green foliage, slightly glaucous but not whitened; greenish white 

 flowers in pairs at 17th to 18th node on short stocky peduncles; 

 pods 2 s s to 3 inches long, of moderate width but plump and well 

 filled, straight, square ended with large straight tips, slightly lighter 

 in color than foliage, and containing 5-7 medium to small, light 

 green peas, round to oval and somewhat compressed; seeds semi- 

 smooth, greenish blue with a few cream colored, oblong, flattened. 



The yields were good to very good, making a very satisfactory 

 field pea. The cooking quality was not tested. 



Bedman Imperial (Refs. 17, 18), developed before 1840, 

 and New Imperial (Ref. 19), about 1847, were, respectively, better 

 than the parent type, Blue Imperial, and not as good. Both were 

 listed in America, but not much grown. The former (Jour. Hort. 

 Soc. London, 1:272. 1849) was more dwarf than Blue Imperial and 

 had slightly curved pods; the latter was taller, later and with small, 

 cylindrical pods. 



Imperial Blue (Refs. 20, 21) is allied by descent to Blue 

 Prussian, and by synonymy to other varieties in the Alaska group; 

 but its characteristics seem to place it with the Dimpled-seeded 

 peas, and it is discussed under that group. 



June. Refs. 32, 33 A June pea was described, briefly, in 

 1857 as being larger than the common field pea, earlier, and produc- 

 ing more peas with less straw; and an Early June, which is also a 

 synonym of Early Dwarf or Early Washington, was listed in 1902. 



Since seed of Early June secured in 1922 from the firm adver- 

 tising the pea in 1902 was greenish blue in color, it is evident that 

 June and Early June are name and synonym, reversibly, of two 

 varieties, one an Extra Early and the other of Alaska type. 



In the Station tests the green-seeded variety was ready for 

 use in 57 days when sown on April 27th or May 1st, or in 10 days 

 less time when sown on May 22. 



Said to be 5-6 feet tall, rather slender in vine, with small, 

 slightly curved, nearly round pods, containing 7 medium sized to 

 large peas, " tolerably good if gathered when young." The seeds 

 were yellow, round, and black-eyed. It was very late. 



Nonsuch (Refs. 101, 102, 104), commonly known as Pearl, 

 is now grown only as a field pea, often used for " splitting; " and still 

 among the better late varieties for the purpose in Canada. Its 

 history dates far back, and its origin is unknown. 



It was originally much like Tall White Marrowfat, but with 

 flowers, pods and their stalks smaller and shorter, and with the 

 seeds black-eyed The seeds themselves were quite large, the pods 

 being thin-walled and compact. It was very late but bore abun- 

 dantly. Later, the smaller-seeded, shorter-vined strains became more 

 prominent as better suited to field culture, but the season was not 

 shortened. 



Peruvian Black Eye Marrow. Refs. Ill, 112; N. Y. Sta. 

 Rpt. 1: 186. 1885, and mss. notes. From any available descriptions, 

 no separation can be made of this variety from the common Black- 

 eyed Marrowfat. It is probable that the name merely indicates 

 more clearly an American origin for the smaller-seeded black-eyed 

 peas. 



Telegraph (Ref. 113), of marrowfat type, very unlike the 

 dimpled-seeded pea of the same name, originated about 1860, 

 and when tried in the garden of the Royal Horticultural Society 

 was said to be " like Early Emperor in all respects, except for black 

 hilum, like Egg; " which would make it a typical black-eyed marrow- 

 fat, with rather small, blunt-ended pods. The peas also had the 

 rough, " beany " taste of Egg. 



IN ALASKA GROUP 



The vines were shorter (2 feet) and slenderer than those of 

 Earliest of All, Nonpareil, or the Alaskas, but similar in other 

 respects; and produced many small white flowers, beginning at the 

 10th node, borne both singly and in pairs, followed by small pods 

 (2 l 4 to 2 3 4 inches) which were otherwise typical Alaskas. The 

 peas were of medium size, smooth, round, and could hardly be 

 distinguished from those of Alaska. Early June gave very good 

 crops of its small pods; but cannot be specially recommended for 

 either garden or field culture. 



Kentish. Seed under this name was sent us from the trial 

 grounds of the United States Department of Agriculture at McMil- 

 lan, Mich., and it was tested in 1926, proving an inferior Alaska- 

 type pea, taller, with a few basal branches, and single, short, plump 

 pods, 2 to 25 8 inches long which wrinkled early. They contained 

 about 5 light green peas that lost color in cooking and were of poor 

 quality. About one-fourth of the seeds were cream-colored. This 

 may be Kentish Invicta; but comparison of the two in the United 

 States Department of Agriculture tests in 1928 showed some 

 differences. 



Griffin. Refs. 37; Jour. Hort. 18:401. 1872. We find 

 no notice of Griffin in America; but include it here as another 

 Laxton addition to a numerous group of Alaska type peas originated 

 by various growers and breeders at about the same time. It was 

 said to resemble the Frame peas, with simple stems, 3 to 4 feet 

 high; pods 14 to 16, rather short, generally paired; peas 6 or 7, 

 medium sized, of mottled appearance through mixture of light and 

 dark green; and not well flavored. The same mottling appeared 

 on the small, dark seeds. It was as early as Sangster No. 1. 



Carter Invicta (Ref. 38) was probably introduced by Carter, 

 and undoubtedly of Kentish Invicta type, and so, like Alaska. In 

 extensive trials on the grounds of one of the nobility it was called 

 very good but it did not win " highly commended." 



First Crop Blue. Refs. 39, Gard. Mo. 16:40. 1874. This 

 is another Carter pea, introduced very soon after Invicta, quite 

 widely grown in England and tested in America in 1874. It resem- 

 bled Burbridge Eclipse, was 1^ to 2 feet tall, robust, bearing 8 

 or 9 single or paired, short, broad, slightly curved, blunt-ended, 

 light green pods. It was as early as Daniel O'Rourke, of better 

 flavor. 



Smilax (Ref. 43), originating with Alexander, about 1885, 

 was apparently of Alaska type, but often branched from the root, 

 giving two 3 -foot stems. It was later and more productive than 

 Alaska, with paired pods sometimes containing 10 peas which held 

 their green color after boiling. It was not uniform in type. 



