CHAPTER III 



DESCRIPTIONS OF VARIETIES 



GENERAL NOTES 



The descriptions and histories of bean varieties 

 which follow are arranged into six classes, viz., Pole 

 Garden Beans, Bush Garden Beans, Field Beans, Horti- 

 cultural Beans, Lima Beans, and Runner Beans. The 

 trials on which the descriptions are based were started 

 at Geneva in 1922, the test plat having some 400 varieties 

 and strains that year. In addition to this, rather com- 

 plete trials were conducted during the years 1923, 1927, 

 and 1930. Records were also available of the early 

 trials of garden beans as conducted in 1882 and 1883 

 by Prof. Henry H. Wing. These early records contained 

 much valuable material descriptive of the varieties in 

 common usage at that time as well as offering comparison 

 with descriptions of the same varieties grown at the 

 present time. In addition to the early work of Wing, 

 there were also available the very excellent monographs 

 on beans by Irish, 1901; Tracy, 1903; and Jarvis, 1908, 

 as well as the earlier publications on lima beans by 

 Bailey, 1895-96. These earlier works furnished the 

 basis for the list of varieties to be grown and were natu- 

 rally a source of information to use in checking the records 

 as found during the recent trials. Recourse to old cata- 

 logs was made to complete the list of variety names and 

 the current issues carefully checked for the newer intro- 

 ductions. Seed of the better known varieties was secured 

 direct from the large wholesale growers of bean seed in 

 order to have as dependable material as possible in 

 describing the standard sorts. A large number of 

 variety names were found in only a few catalogs, seed 

 of which was secured direct from the company which 

 offered the seed for sale. 



The trial grounds of W. Atlee Burpee Co. at Doyles- 

 town, Pa.; D. Landreth Seed Co., Bristol, Pa.; J. B. 

 Rice Seed Co., Cambridge, N. Y.; Ferry Morse Seed Co., 

 Detroit, Mich. ; and the U. S. Department of Agriculture, 

 Washington, D. C, were visited by one or more of the 

 authors in order to see as many varieties as possible 

 growing under similar conditions and the same varieties in 

 different environments. The above-named institutions, 

 together with the following, have freely supplied seed 

 stock during the trial period: The Associated Seed Grow- 

 ers, Inc., New Haven, Conn.; S. D. Woodruff & Sons, 

 Orange, Conn.; Rogers Bros. Seed Co., Chicago, 111.; 

 Alfred J. Brown Seed Co., Grand Rapids, Mich.; Wash- 

 burn-Wilson Seed Co., Moscow, Idaho; and many others. 



In order to compile the material pertaining to the 

 histories of the varieties, it has been necessary to seek 

 information from a large number of individuals. This 

 information has been freely forthcoming and has greatly 

 facilitated the gathering together of the facts concerning 

 the originators and the introducers of many of our earlier 

 varieties. Without this patient cooperation it is certain 

 that much of the material presented here would have 



remained unearthed. The authors extend sincere thanks 

 to individuals in the firms above mentioned, to many 

 other individuals of the seed trade, and to co-workers 

 at other institutions whose names remain unmentioned 

 because of lack of space. 



As stated in the preface this work was under the 

 direct charge of F. H. Hall from its inception continu- 

 ously up to the time of his death in 1929. Associated 

 with him in the carrying out of the project was Leslie 

 R. Hawthorn, since January 1931 of the Texas Station. 

 The authors have attempted to carry the work to its 

 completion and to organize and to write up the material 

 with as few errors as possible. However, since errors 

 undoubtedly exist, the writers will be most grateful for 

 any suggestions that may be forthcoming. 



The photographs for the five colored plates of seeds 

 were taken in October 1925, all others were taken during 

 the summer of 1923. These illustrations are used as 

 originally made with the variety names as they appear 

 on the original plates. They serve to illustrate the 

 widely divergent pod types and characteristics as well 

 as to indicate, especially in the seed, the range of variation 

 that occurs within a variety. 



For recording the characteristics of the varieties 

 grown, check sheets were used, each characteristic being 

 so sub-divided that a simple check mark made the record. 

 In this connection it may be well to point out the diffi- 

 culty in recording separatory characters on a large 

 number of varieties any one season. The edible beans 

 come on very rapidly and data on many characters must 

 be taken within a narrow spread of time. In collecting 

 the data and in preparing it for publication, technical 

 terms have been avoided as far as possible and the 

 description written for the practical grower and seeds- 

 man. The attempt has been made to standardize the 

 descriptive writing so that the data are given in the 

 same order for each variety. A glossary of terms used 

 is given below. 



The choosing of the correct name to use for each 

 variety has been given careful consideration. Wherever 

 possible the principles applied in " Standardized Plant 

 Names " have been used, but inasmuch as names of 

 varieties of vegetables are not listed in that work it has 

 been necessary for the authors to decide upon the names 

 without recourse to a standard guide. In the great 

 majority of cases the names now in common usage 

 remain unchanged. Many names have been shortened 

 in the interest of simplicity and " to make merchandising 

 and buying easier." Where the recorded data have 

 shown reasonably sure evidence of " identity " between 

 two or more varieties, the authors have tried to preserve 

 the name which seemed to offer the strongest case for 

 its maintenance and listed the others as synonyms. 



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