56 



THE VEGETABLES OF NEW YORK 



5 1 i inches long by 3'j to 3'i> inches wide, somewhat below center, 

 rather rounding with abruptly taperpointed tips, laterals often 

 quite irregular. Flowers white. 



Pods borne intermediate among the foliage; light whitish 

 yellow in color. Quality excellent; brittle, stringless, fleshy, fiber- 

 less, and fine in texture. Size long, rather broad and quite plump 



(5V6 :1 4 x 



x :; v inches), containing 5-7 seeds per pod. Shape 



round, broad cordate to nearly circular in cross-section, moderately 

 to much curved, creasebacked, slightly constricted, crowded, 

 smooth, filled to the tip and edge and rounded at the end. Spurs 

 long, slender and curved to sharply hooked. Suture, placental is 

 indented and carpellary, rounded to obtuse. 



Seeds medium, 1.45 x .7 x .6 cm. (80-90 per oz.); slender to 

 medium reniform, plump; ends rounded. Hilum small, flattened. 

 Color chalky white, marked with grayish vein-like under pattern 

 and with a very dark brown, later turning to black, pattern in 

 the form of a broken eye-ring quite variable as to shape, but always 

 on the hilar surface and occasionally as a strip over one or both 

 ends. 



Burpee White Wax. Refs. 10, 15, 45, 48, 59, 64, 



67, 68, 91. The exact parentage of the Burpee White 

 Wax is unknown, but it probably came as a simple 

 selection from the old variety White Wax. The new 

 strain was introduced by Burpee in 1905 and came from 

 Keeney who had made the selection some years previous. 

 Only four seedsmen listed it in 1931, indicating its 

 limited use. The pods are ready to use in about 50 

 days, the same as for Golden Wax. Burpee White 

 Wax differs from Michigan White Wax in having taller, 

 more compact plants, larger leaflets, wider and flatter 

 pods, with more pointed ends and longer tips. As first 

 introduced, it was superior to Davis Wax or Wardwell's 

 Kidney Wax, and quite similar to Keeney Rustless and 

 the older forms of White Wax. 



Plant 14 to 16 inches tall with spread of 15 inches; erect, 

 very compact, bushy appearance, runnerless; good vigor, moderately 

 productive over long bearing season. Stem stout, round, smooth, 

 ridged above; branches few, rather rigid yet sometimes drooping 

 as pods reach green shell stage, green thruout. Foliage abundant, 

 medium green, dull, fairly smooth, slightly crumpled; leaflets 4'^ 

 inches long and 3 3 4 inches wide, broad for length, widest nearest 

 base, sides taper gradually to short, full point, slightly curved at 

 tip. Flowers white. 



Pods borne mostly below the foliage, light to medium yellow 

 in color. Quality good; stringless, nearly fiberless, quite fleshy, 

 brittle and fine in texture. Size, short, broad, and slender (4J-2— 

 4 ' i x T5~/1s x J4- 3 ., inches), containing 4-5 seeds per pod. Shape 

 flat, ovate in cross-section, straight to slightly curved, straight to 

 slightly creasebacked, somewhat constricted along placental surface 

 as well as on the sides, not crowded, smooth, filled to the tip and 

 edge and rounded on the end. Spur short, moderately stout and 

 curved. Suture, placental is flattened to slightly indented and 

 carpellary, moderately acute. 



Seeds medium, 1.25 x .75 x .6 cm. (80-86 per oz.), quite 

 uneven, oblong, slightly reniform, quite plump, oval to moderately 

 broad ova! in cross-section; ends uniformly rounded. Hilum small 

 and moderately protuberant. Color chalky white over the entire 

 surface; marked with a rather indistinct vein-like under pattern. 



Challenge Black Wax. Refs. 36, 47, 48, 49, 59, 



67, 68, 85, 91, 97, 98. Syns. Challenge Dwarf Black 

 Wax, Challenge, Challenge German Black Wax. 

 Although plainly of German Black Wax type, this variety 

 must be classed as a distinct variety in plant, foliage, 

 pod, and seasonal differences. It is said to have orig- 

 inated with Rogers Brothers, of Chaumont, N. Y., 

 from a single plant found in a bean field grown from 

 German seed. D. M. Ferry introduced the variety in 



1891 as Challenge Dwarf Black Wax Extra Early. It 

 was exceedingly popular for a time, being listed by about 

 60 seedsmen in 1901, but since then it has been gradually 

 superseded by other varieties, appearing in less than 20 

 catalogs in 1921. As an early round pod wax it is a 

 useful home garden sort. The earliest of our garden 

 beans, 46 days to the first pods, 4 to 6 days earlier than 

 Pencil Pod or Sure Crop. The plants and pods of 

 Challenge, while resembling German Black Wax in 

 many ways, are much smaller in all respects. 



Plant very small, ?| to 1 inch tall with spread of % inch; 

 stocky, erect, compact, while plant can be said to be stocky its small 

 size shows low vigor and weakness; entirely without runners; vigor 

 fair, unproductive, short bearing season. Stem stout, round, 

 smooth, ridged above; branches few, purplish at nodes and on 

 flower stalks. Foliage medium in amount, medium green, leaf 

 surface slightly rough or crumpled, rather glossy; leaflets about as 

 broad as long, 3' £ inches long x 3 inches wide, widest near base of 

 leaf, triangular, straight sided, rather long, acute tip. Flowers rose 

 purple. 



Pods borne very largely below the foliage; medium dull 

 yellow in color. Quality good; stringless, quite fleshy, brittle and 

 fine in texture. Size moderately short, narrow and very plump 



(3} £-4 x 



[ 2 inches I, containing 4—5 seeds per pod. 



Shape round, nearly circular in cross-section, much curved, occa- 

 sionally twisted sideways, straight backed, regular, fairly well 

 crowded, smooth, filled to the tip and the edge and tapering at the 

 end. Spur moderately long, fairly stout and decidedly recurved. 

 Suture, placental is somewhat rounded and carpellary, broadly 

 obtuse. 



Seeds small to medium, 1.5 x .75 x .6 cm., containing 95-100 

 per oz. Shape somewhat cylindrical, occasionally sub-reniform, 

 quite plump, broad oval thru cross-section; ends abruptly rounded 

 and occasionally truncate. Hilum small and flat with a tendency 

 for a portion of the placental tissue to adhere occasionally. Color 

 jet, medium dull black over the entire surface. 



Craeker Jaek Wax. Refs. 77. Syns. Clifford 

 Wonder, Admiral Wax, Clifford New Early Wonder 

 Wax, Vanguard, Webber Wax. The year 1913 saw 

 the introduction of a new bean under several different 

 listings, the exact origin or parentage being unknown. 

 Cracker Jack was listed by Leonard Seed Company as 

 a new bean of distinct character having been in the 

 hands of a few Chicago gardeners before its reselection 

 and perfection by the seed company. In 1913 the name 

 Webber Wax also appeared, having been listed by Forbes 

 of Plymouth, Indiana, and Breck of Boston. The 

 same year Simon of Philadelphia carried Cracker Jack 

 and likewise Tait of Norfolk advertised a variety called 

 Vanguard or Cracker Jack. Beans grown under these 

 three names and also as Clifford Wonder greatly resemble 

 each other. As a type it appears more like a yellow- 

 podded strain of Bountiful, deserving the name yellow- 

 podded or Golden Podded Bountiful more than the 

 black-seeded variety that now bears these names. In 

 season it is an early variety. The pods are ready to 

 pick in from 47 to 49 days, making it only a few days 

 behind the very earliest sorts, the same in season with 

 Wardwell's, Sure Crop and Kidney Wax, or 2 days earlier 

 than Pencil Pod and Davis Wax. The pods are not 

 quite so flat, but are rounder, and more meaty than pods 

 of Wardwell's. Because of its drought-resistant quali- 

 ties, it is more popular with midwestern than with eastern 

 growers. 



