108 



THE VEGETABLES OF NEW YORK 



well, and was introduced about 1882 by Sharpe. It reached Amer- 

 ica in 1885 and was grown at this Station in 1888. 



It was very much like Ne Plus Ultra, but earlier; with pods 

 appearing plumper, but inflated ("puffy"), so the peas were no 

 larger nor were they compressed. English descriptions say the 

 pods were 2 or 3 in a group: but in the Station test they were " not 

 numerous," and were borne high on the stems. (See Magnificent, 

 described beyond.) 



In 1894, 1895 and 1896 several American seedsmen listed a 

 Paragon pea, said to have been introduced by Grenell, and to be 

 new; but the descriptions given are too fragmentary to say that this 

 was not a reintroduction of Sharpe Paragon. If they were different, 

 the American variety, of unknown parentage or breeding, was rather 

 shorter stemmed; with stockier, almost cylindrical, better filled, 

 blunt-ended pods, and more productive. 



At least two other Paragon peas are recorded in English pea 

 literature and two more, of field pea type, in America. 



Perpetual Bearing iRefs. 30-33 \ probably better known as 

 Walker Perpetual, was selected from Veitch Perfection by Walker, 

 and distributed by Nutting about 1881. It is called a white-seeded 

 Veitch Perfection, and said apparently to reproduce Premier. As 

 Latest of All was called a selection from Premier, it is evident that 

 the two continuous bearers were very similar; but our comparisons 

 of the two varieties show Latest of All rather better, having larger 

 pods and peas, better colored and with more green specimens among 

 the seeds. The pods of Perpetual Bearing were more often curved, 

 like those of Premier. 



Eckford Perpetual (Ne Plus Ultra x William U, introduced 

 about 1883 and said to be superior to Perpetual Bearing, probably 

 never reached the United States; nor did a Perpetual Bearer sent 

 to the Royal Horticultural Society by Barr and given XXX in 1917, 

 unless this is an improved form of the Walker pea, from which it 

 differs in greater height, longer pods, and earlier bearing. It ripened 

 too early to be included in the late pea group. 



Magnificent. Refs. 34; S. Dak. Sta. Bui. 91:1905; Port- 

 land Seed Co. Cat. 1909. This Magnificent originated with Eck- 

 ford before 1883, as a Telephone x Ne Plus Ultra cross. It received 

 a First Class Certificate from the Royal Horticultural Society in 

 1884. English references say it is only slightly different from Sharpe 

 Paragon, being later, and with square-tipped pods. These points, 

 with its rather shorter pods, place it in this group rather than with 

 the Telephones. It was tried in South Dakota in U. S. Department 

 of Agriculture tests in 1904, and introduced in the West in 1909. 

 Seed from which it was grown here, recently, came from the Idaho 

 Station. Since it was not possible to secure an accurate description of 

 Paragon, it may be well to give the leading characteristics of Mag- 

 nificent, especially those which separate it from Ne Plus Ultra, as both 

 were grown here in the same seasons from seed from the same sources. 



Height of Magnificent, 3 feet Ne Plus Ultra 4 1 2 l . with short 

 internodes and more basal branches; foliage dense and dark green 

 with bluish tinge from heavy bloom on stipules, leaflets in 4s, almost 

 never in 5s, and larger, stipules larger, more whitened and more 

 glaucous; pods begin rather higher on the stems, very rarely paired, 

 slightly longer and more uniform, generally above 3}^ inches, 

 occasionally slightly curved, better filled to the more abrupt ends; 

 very dark green and very heavy- walled; peas averaging one more, 

 4 to 7 or 8, dark green, very smooth, long oval in shape, and 

 occasionally indented by compression; seed differences very slight, 

 tho Magnificent varied more in wrinkling, from almost smooth to 

 well wrinkled. Season and productivity of the two varieties were 

 similar, late and moderately productive. 



The Magnificent pea, raised by W. Johnson, and tested at 

 Wisley in 1922 and 1926, when it was given " H. C," is unknown 

 in America. 



Sander Marrow. Refs. 35; N. Y. Sta. Rpt. 7:137. 1889; 

 Kans. Sta. Rpt. 2:165. 1890. This pea originated with Sander 

 about 1883, and came to the United States for testing in 1888 and 

 commercially in 1892. It was popular for a time in both England 

 and America, but has now disappeared. 



Height 4 to 5 feet or more, rank in growth but rather short- 

 jointed, much branched above, foliage large, coarse, light green 

 marbled with white; leaflets 2-6, broad, obtuse, faintly toothed; 

 subject to mildew: pods borne toward top of stem, sometimes paired, 

 3 to 3J4 inches long, straight, blunt-ended, paler than foliage: peas 

 3 to 5, huge, of fine quality, month later than earliest kinds. 



Anticipation iRefs. 37, 38; N. Y. Sta. Rpt. 6:331. 1888) 

 was introduced by Carter before 1886, and is said to come from a 

 cross between Ne Plus Ultra and an early, wrinkled, dwarf pea. It 

 was tested at various American stations, including this one, between 

 1887 and 1894, was " condemned with faint praise," and apparently 

 never regularly cataloged here. 



From the partial descriptions given, it was quite dwarf, occa- 

 sionally 4 feet, stout-stemmed, sometimes branched, with light green 

 or bluish green foliage, and paired pods, 3 to 4 inches long, straight, 

 broad, with blunt ends, light in color, and containing 4 to 8 large, 

 oval, medium green peas of excellent quality. It was apparently a 

 little earlier than Ne Plus Ultra, and fairly productive. 



American Beauty (Ref. 39) probably originated with 

 Alexander, by whom it was sent to this Station for testing in 1887. 

 Descriptive notes are meager but it evidently is much like Anticipa- 

 tion, with the pods somewhat constricted between peas, large and 

 less blunt, even when well filled, than others of the group. 



The Don (Refs. 40; Mich. Sta. Bui. 79:21. 1892 1, origi- 

 nated by Eckford, was sent, as Quality, to the Royal Horticultural 

 Society for testing in 1888, received a First Class Certificate, was 

 renamed, and was introduced the next year. It was brought to 

 America in 1891. Tho a good pea, it was never widely known or 

 grown on either side of the Atlantic. The brief descriptive notes 

 do not give enough characteristics to separate it from Ne Plus Ultra 

 or others of the group; but it was said to fill a vacancy in the season, 

 coming between the second early and main crop varieties. 



Sutton Matchless (Ref. 41 i received a Certificate of Merit 

 from the Royal Horticultural Society in 1890, and the old or an im- 

 proved form was several times after that mentioned in their Journal, 

 but does not seem to have been much grown. Probably grown in 

 the United States only in tests of the U. S. Department of Agricul- 

 ture and of this Station, in the latter from British Columbia seed. 



More dwarf than Ne Plus Ultra, 2 to 2 3 4 feet; stem stouter; 

 foliage dense, medium green, consisting of very large leaflets and 

 stipules, considerably whitened and the latter with heavy bloom; 

 pods from 14th or 15th node, occasionally paired; almost like those 

 of Ne Plus Ultra in size and shape, usually not well filled and with 

 rather less blunt ends; peas 4 to 6, large, oval to oblong, whitish 

 green, seeds decidedly larger than those of Ne Plus Ultra, about 75 

 to the ounce, very broad oval and much flattened. Season and 

 yields were about like those of the type variety. 



Apparently not Matchless Marrowfat of Sutton, from which 

 name Marrowfat was later dropped (p. 100 i. 



Chelsonian Ref. 42 1 probably originated about 1890 with 

 Jas. Veitch; did not gain special commendation from the Royal 

 Horticultural Society when first shown, but later was said to be 

 an early, selected form of Ne Plus Ultra with all the latter's good 

 qualities. It was not very popular; and was never in commerce in 

 the United States but was grown at the University of British Colum- 

 bia and at this Station from British Columbia seed. 



Here, taller than Ne Plus Ultra, 5 feet; foliage darker, with 

 leaflets occasionally in 3s only; flowers higher up the stem; pods were 

 flatter, poorly filled, occasionally having only 2 peas and rarely 

 more than 6 ; both pods and peas of good color and peas of excellent 

 quality; the seeds very attractive, — mostly bright deep cream with 

 some green shading. It was neither earlier nor more productive, 

 under our conditions, than the older variety. 



GoldfniuVr Ref. 44) originated with R. Veitch before 1894; 

 was grown many times in the gardens of the Royal Horticultural 

 Society, but until 1925, when " highly commended," was evidently 

 regarded as too similar to Ne Plus Ultra to merit a separate com- 

 mendatory award. So far as known, it has been grown in America 

 only in the U. S. Department of Agriculture tests, and at this 

 Station from English seed. 



It differed from Ne Plus Ultra in greater vigor, stouter stem, 

 darker foliage, pods more uniform and averaging larger, plumper, 

 very blunt at the ends, and much better filled, usually with 7 peas, 

 almost square thru compression, and of very fine quality. A few 

 pods were ready much earlier than those on Ne Plus Ultra, but a 

 long time was needed to secure the good to very good crops. 



Grant Favorite Refs. 45, 46 1 was introduced by Buckbee 

 about 1894; and probably listed only by that firm. 



As grown here, a dwarfer Ne Plus Ultra, 2' o to 3 feet tall: 

 stems rather stout, somewhat branched; foliage dark, slightly whit- 

 ened and somewhat glaucous; pods occasionally paired, from 14th 



