DESCRIPTIONS OF VARIETIES 



99 



changing to cream colored seeds. A catalog reference says it was 

 more prolific than Little Gem or Premium Gem. 



Echo. Refs. 30; Rural N. Y. 51:314. 1895. Echo origi- 

 nated with Eckford, was introduced in 1890, and came to America 

 in 1895. It received a First Class Certificate from the Royal 

 Horticultural Society, but apparently was never widely grown, 

 even in England. It was a very early, prolific, wrinkled marrow, 

 2 feet tall, of very superior quality. 



Perfect Gem iRefs. 31, 32 ) was introduced in 1889 by Sutton, 

 and Vaughan Perfect Gem, apparently the same pea, was listed in 

 America in 1908. 



It was a second early, l l > to 2 ' -j feet tall, with dark green 

 stem and foliage, paired, rather light colored, straight pods, very 

 long (4 to 4'o inches in Vaughan's description) and broad, with 7 

 large, very sweet peas. The pods were " so numerous as almost to 

 hide the plants." 



The name places it in this section, but the pods are hardly 

 of Little Gem, or even American Wonder type, tho more like the 

 latter. 



Tom Thumb. Wrinkled. Refs. 33, 34. When Tom Thumb 

 peas began to acquire wrinkling is unknown, the first specific mention 

 of this character being in 1889. 



This development of Tom Thumb gives a plant with Little 

 Gem foliage, but leaflets often only in 2s, smaller than American 

 Wonder, ' 3 to J i foot tall, with short pods, 1 } 2 to 2 inches, in sea- 

 son with American Wonder, straight and round, containing 3-6 peas 

 of medium quality, changing to green, moderately wrinkled seeds. 



Tom Thumb Plentiful is a further development of this type, 

 probably a cross, as the original Tom Thumb peas could hardly 

 have developed good quality through selection alone. 



Height -3 to 1 2 3 feet, with paired pods, 3 inches long con- 

 taining 6-8 large, compressed peas, of high quality. As early as 

 American Wonder, more productive and matures its pods very 

 promptly. 



Angell Premier. Ref. 35. This Gem-type Premier originated 

 with Angell prior to 1890, when it was tested at this Station. It 

 was apparently a very short-podded but productive pea, " one of 

 the finest table peas tested here." It survived but a short time, as 

 the company dropped it before 1892, tho it was listed by a New 

 York State firm in that year. 



Angell Triumph (Ref. 38) originated as an Advancer x 

 American Wonder cross, and was introduced in 1892. 



It was said to be " equal to American Wonder in every other 

 respect, several days earlier, and at least one-fourth more produc- 

 tive." It was 3 4 to 1 '4 feet tall, and from the figure given, more 

 like Little Gem than American Wonder in pods. 



Empire State iRef. 38a! was listed by Everitt in 1900 as a 

 new first early; but it probably did not originate with him. 



It was 1 1 4 to 1 ] 2 feet tall, with stocky stems, prolific of dark 

 green pods filled with peas of fine flavor. The wrinkled seeds were 

 green. 



Extra Early Manifold (Ref. 38b), listed before 1901 and still 

 carried by McKenzie, is called the " standard dwarf marrowfat " 

 for the West. 



It is 1 foot tall, with stout, heavy stem, medium green foliage 

 and pods, the latter being 3 inches long, round, straight, blunt - 

 ended, and containing 6 light green peas of good quality. 



Admiral Dewey iRef. 38c I, entirely distinct from Allan's 

 Telephone-like pea so named, was listed in 1902 by Griffith & 

 Turner and was probably just introduced by them. 



A " most excellent dwarf," shorter than Stratagem and a 

 week earlier, with stocky vines, and long pods containing 10 delicious 

 tender peas. 



Sutton May Queen. Refs. 39; Gregory Car. 1904. This 

 May Queen, an American Wonder x Early Paragon cross, originated 

 in 1884 with Culverwell, was listed in 1893 by Sutton, and reached 

 America 10 years later. Sutton calls it an earlier, dwarf A 1; but 

 as grown here it seems to fall better in the Gem group. 



In our tests, from British Columbia seed, it was l 1 ^ feet tall, 

 with a more slender stem than Little Gem, unbranched, with a 

 medium amount of non-characteristic foliage; pods short, of Wonder 

 type and node of bearing, on long, slender stalks, usually not well- 

 filled, containing but few large, round, oval, light green peas; seeds 

 were large, mixed cream and light green, oblong, indented and well 

 wrinkled. It was a first early variety, and gave good crops. 



Nott Perfection (Ref. 41) originated with Richard Nott 

 who crossed his Excelsior with Premium Gem to get it. It was 

 introduced about 1895. 



Later and taller than Nott Excelsior, 1 '4" to 1 J^ feet, stems 

 much branched, foliage of Little Gem type, but less whitened, tendrils 

 quite noticeable; flowers from the 11th or 12th node; pods single 

 and paired; about 2 5 g to 3 inches long, rather narrow but plump, 

 well-filled, rather blunt -ended, medium green in color; peas 5 or 

 6, medium to large, light green, of fine quality. It gave very good 

 crops. 



Eclipse (Wrinkled) (Ref. 44a) is now hopelessly confused 

 with Surprise, and probably was never more than a selection from 

 that variety made by Cleveland before 1898. 



It seems to have been rather shorter-stemmed and longer- 

 podded than Surprise, with a slight curve toward the tip of the pod, 

 and more productive of pods of American Wonder type. 



Durban Market Garden. Ref. 46. The Alexander Seed 

 Co. introduced Durban Market Garden in 1901, and carried it for 

 several years. It was of the American Wonder class, earlier, and 

 with larger pods, which, from the illustration given, were somewhat 

 curved 



Herald (Refs. 47; Denaiffe L. P. P. 44. 1906) was an English 

 pea, probably known in America only through U. S. Department of 

 Agriculture tests in 1903. 



The South Dakota Station reported it as 1 ' s feet tall, with 

 about 5 flat pods to the vine with 5-6 peas each, which were tender, 

 very sweet and of very good flavor. The French references say 

 the variety was somewhat similar in height and color of foliage to 

 American Wonder, 5 or 6 days later, with quite broad pods, 2J4 to 

 2% inches long and slightly to considerably curved. 



Extra Early Honey Sweet (Refs. 11, 49) was introduced about 

 1906, " after actual test for several years," by Buckbee, who still 

 carries it, tho it is not mentioned elsewhere. 



The plants are taller than those of Little Gem, 2 ! 4 feet, and 

 with smaller, rather longer, leaflets. The pods, more often paired 

 and borne on longer, somewhat slenderer stalks, are of Gem type, 

 more uniform and usually more blunt at the ends, and fully as 

 well filled with peas decidedly larger, oval and indented by crowding 

 in the pod. The seeds are Gem-like. The variety is a few days 

 later than Little Gem and decidedly more productive. 



Tho quite similar, this is apparently distinct from Honey 

 Sweets, later described, as it is earlier, flowers lower on the stem and 

 is smaller-podded. 



Washington Wonder (Ref. 51) was introduced by Lilly 

 about 1907. It was too tall for American Wonder, 1 '3 feet, but of 

 that type, early, prolific and large-podded, with 6 to 9 good-sized, 

 well-flavored peas to the pod. 



Vaughan Forcing (Ref. 52), introduced about 1908, was said 

 to be a " small and wonderful edition of American Wonder," with 

 pods similar in shape and size, borne on plants " 3 inches dwarf er " 

 and of upright habit. This can hardly be Sutton Forcing of the 

 Large-podded, Dwarf group, as pods of that variety are said to be as 

 large as those of Gradus. 



Honey Sweets (Ref. 53) was introduced by Northrup about 

 1907 and carried for at least 15 years. 



As grown here it was taller, 2} 2 feet, than the introducer's 

 figures of 1 to l 1 ^ feet, and in other respects more like Little Gem 

 than American Wonder in stem and foliage, tho with the lightly 

 clasping stipules of the latter. It flowered higher on the stem than 

 either, 12th node; pods paired and single, like those of American 

 Wonder, on long, thick stalks, 2 "' g to 3 ' s inches long, when paired, 

 decidedly longer when single, quite broad, almost plump, very 

 slightly curved; peas between those of Gem and Wonder in size, 

 rather more to the pod, but less compressed, of poor color and not 

 of the best quality; seeds of American Wonder type. 



Honey Sweets was nearly two weeks later than American 

 Wonder, but productive and matured the crop promptly. Differ- 

 ences between this variety and Extra Early Honey Sweet are noted 

 under the latter. 



100% Profit. Ref. 55. J. Bolgiano introduced 100'; Profit 

 in 1914. 



It was apparently a somewhat taller American Wonder, 

 1 '4 to l ;i 4 feet tall here (1 foot given by the introducers'. It was 

 not quite as early as Wonder, but had larger pods, 2"s to 3 '4 inches 

 long, more often paired but then much shorter, averaging 6 or more 

 large, dark green peas of excellent quality, with seeds of Gem type 



