DESCRIPTIONS OF VARIETIES 



107 



taining 6 or 7 large, compressed, sweet peas, changing to cream or 

 bluish green seeds. It was ready in midseason and very productive. 

 It was grown at the Station in 1883 and 1885. but only sum- 

 maries were printed of the extensive notes taken. These notes show 

 the variety very similar to Knight Dwarf Green Marrow, with paired 

 pods, longer and better filled than those of the older variety, making 

 it very prolific. 



King of the Marrows. Refs. 19-23; U. S. Pat Off. Rpt. 

 Agr. 1865; Evans Cat. 1868. Hogg Card. Yr. Bk. 11:109. 1873. 

 Waite's King of the Marrows was advertised by Sutton in 1854 

 as new. It was listed by the U. S. Department of Agriculture 

 in 1865, and commercially in 1868. It was still cataloged in the 

 United States in 1889, but not found in seedsmen's lists of 1901. 

 Hogg, in 1873, gave King of the Marrows only as a synonym of 

 Tall Green Mammoth. 



It was a very tall, late pea of the Knight Tall Green Marrow 

 class but with much larger pods and larger, greener seeds. An early 

 reference notes its resemblance to Ne Plus Ultra, but later ones say 

 it is very like British Queen of Knight Tall White Marrow type ), 

 but with green seeds. A French description shows the foliage to be 

 similar to that of Champion of England, and says the pods are square 

 at the end. It was a prolific variety yielding over a long period. 



Monarch. Refs. 22. 23; Country Gent. 17:143. 1861; 

 Hogg Gard. Yr. Bk. 11:109. 1873. Monarch was advertised in 

 1856 by Hurst, who had purchased the stock for that year from Epps, 

 the originator. The Royal Horticultural Society said in 1860 that 

 the variety was the same as Tall Green Wrinkled Mammoth, with 

 which King of the Marrows was also said to be identical; but refer- 

 ences to both Monarch and King of the Marrows are found preceding 

 any to Tall Green Wrinkled Mammoth. Probably all three varieties 

 originated at practically the same time through the selection by 

 different growers of similar variations in Knight Tall Green Wrinkled 

 Marrow. Monarch was advertised in America as " new " in 1861 

 by at least two firms. Monarch was considered by Hogg, also, 

 only as a synonym of the variety below. 



Tall Green Mammoth. Refs. 20, 21, 23-26. Except for 

 its use as a synonym in a reference dated 1857, the first notice of 

 Tall Green Mammoth, in 1859, gave no indication of its previous 

 history. 



Of the group of three varieties regarded as identical, of which 

 this variety is the last, only this has been grown at this Station, in 

 1884: but the other names are given as synonyms. It was not found 

 in American seedsmen's catalogs. 



It appears to have differed very little, under American condi- 

 tions, from Knight Tall Green Marrow, was of the same height, 

 but had longer internodes. darker green foliage, and rather longer 

 pod stalks. The pods were apparently of the same length but 

 narrower and plumper, light green in color, and contained fewer 

 peas, on the average, which were slightly larger. The seeds were 

 very pale green or almost white, and much wrinkled. It was earlier 



MINOR VARIETIES IN 



Lord Raglan. - Refs. 14; Thorburn Cat. 1861 : Hogg Gard. 

 Yr. Bk. 14:109. 1873. This pea was selected from Hairs Dwarf 

 Mammoth in 1852, and offered for sale in 1854 by Epps. It 

 reached America in 1861, but never gained favor. Tho hardly of 

 Ne Plus Ultra type. Lord Raglan is included here because of its 

 resemblance to Veitch Perfection. 



It was only about half as tail as Ne Plus Ultra, much earlier 

 and more prolific, tho not as early as Dwarf Mammoth, with pods 

 fully as long or longer than Ne Plus Ultra, slenderer, and almost 

 scimitar shaped, and peas smaller and not as good in quality. Hogg 

 says it was intermediate in season between Hairs Dwarf Mammoth 

 and Veitch Perfection, but unworthy of growing because of poorly 

 filled pods. 



Omega. Refs. 21: Thorburn Cat. 1873; N. Y. Sta. Rpt. 

 3:262. 1885: Hogg Gard. Yr. Bk. 11:103. 1873. Omega origi- 

 nated with Laxton about 1872 from a Veitch Perfection x Ne Plus 

 Ultra cross. It was listed in America in 1873. and was tested here 

 in 1884. It was essentially a dwarf Ne Plus Ultra growing 2 to 3 

 feet high, a few days later and with less blunt-ended pods. It was 

 prolific, and the pods kept fresh well after picking. 



Hogg mentions a Progress pea, also Laxton's, from the same 

 parents as Omega, which was a day or so earlier and had smaller 

 pods, but was in every other way similar to it. This is not the Prog- 

 ress pea recently introduced by Laxton Brothers. 



than the original Knight's variety, and much more productive, 

 ripening over a long season. 



Fairhead Excelsior. Refs. 28; Hogg Gard. Yr. Bk. 11:107. 

 1873. This pea is credited to Fairhead, before 1859. In 1860 it 

 was pronounced identical with Climax by a committee of the Royal 

 Horticultural Society; but was probably, like Napoleon, distinct 

 in origin tho horticulturally indistinguishable from Climax. Hogg 

 considers it synonymous only. It was brought to America in 1862 

 and found decidedly early, taller than Climax or Napoleon, and a 

 poor producer of very good peas. 



Popular. Refs. 30; Thorburn Cat. 1873; Hogg Gard. Yr. 

 Bk. 11:107. 1873. Popular originated with Laxton, about 1871, 

 but was distributed by Hurst. It reached America in 1873; but 

 here never justified its name. 



It was apparently much like Champion of England, rather 

 slender, earlier and more productive, light green, with long, rather 

 narrow pods, much curved, pointed, and well filled with large peas. 

 Hogg considered it better than Climax. 



Commander in Chief Refs. 31; N. Y. Sta. Rpt. 3:248. 

 1885 was introduced about 1875 by Carter and was brought to 

 America two years later. It was grown at this Station in 1882 and 

 1884, but never became widely known. 



From the descriptions given. Commander in Chief can hardly 

 be separated from Champion of England; but was probably less 

 branched at midstem, with rather deeper green foliage; pods usually 

 single, slightly curved, and better filled with smaller peas, changing to 

 rather small seeds with a bluish shade in the cream or light green 

 coats. It was not as prolific as Champion but otherwise similar in 

 cropping habits. 



Kelvedonian Refs. 32; Veitch, J. Car. 1907 originated prior 

 to 1903, probably with Hurst. English references to the pea are 

 few, but it was listed by two or more seedsmen for at least 20 years. 

 The 1903 reference is an American one, and the variety was tested 

 quite extensively in this country but never much grown. 



It was of dwarf Champion of England type, 2 J^ to 3 1 / 2 feet tall 

 in America and somewhat taller abroad; pods paired, starting 

 rather low on the stems, 11th or 12th node, longer and broader than 

 those of Champion, straight, and square ended. It was rather 

 earlier than Champion and decidedly more productive. 



Scotch Champion (Refs. 33; S. Dak. Sta. Bui. 91:7. 1905) 

 is placed in this group by the name. It was said to be new in 

 America in 1907, but was grown in U. S. Department of Agriculture 

 tests in South Dakota in 1904. It is a cross between Windsor 

 Castle Marrowfat and Dr. McLean, and is very popular in Scotland 

 and Ireland; so it is undoubtedly an old variety. It may be Cham 

 pion of Scotland, described under Wrinkled, Cream-seeded Group. 



It was 3 to 3 ' 3 feet tall, very prolific, with " stout " pods 

 4 inches long, ready in late midseason; peas about 6, of medium size, 

 good color and flavor, medium in sweetness and juiciness. 



NE PLUS ULTRA GROUP 



Laxton Connoisseur (Refs. 23; Rural N. Y. 34:174. 1875). 

 which seems to be distinct from the Cooper-Taber Connoisseur 

 listed by Ferry, originated with Laxton about 1874 from a cross 

 between Ne Plus Ultra and Evergreen. It was evidently very 

 much like Ne Plus Ultra, but with rather smaller, slightly more 

 curved pods, keeping in season longer, and with smaller, deep green 

 seeds. 



Little Wonder (Refs. 24; Gregory Car. 1878> was introduced 

 in England in 1878 by Carter, with whom it undoubtedly originated, 

 and Gregory listed it in America in the same year. 



As described, and as grown here in 1884, it was a dwarfer, 

 earlier and better podded G. F. Wilson. It is distinct from 

 Loudon's Little Wonder, which was under 1 foot in height and 

 bore small, white, round peas. This latter was probably never 

 grown in America. 



Paragon. Refs. 18; Gregory Cat. 1894. Dickson's New 

 Paragon was considered, in 1866, the same as Veitch Perfection, 

 previously described. 



Under a rather different name, Hogg says plants resembled 

 those of Bishop Early Dwarf, 2 to 2 J 2 feet tall, robust, branching, 

 bearing many fine, deep green pods, filling poorly, in season with 

 Paradise Marrow and Bishop Long-podded. 



Sharpe Paragon, or Early Paragon, originated with Culver- 



