DESCRIPTIONS OF VARIETIES 



67 



grown in our recent tests is green-podded, with longer 

 seeds. 



Prolific Black Wax. Refs. 9, 45, 48, 84, 91, 93, 



94. Syns. Butter Stringless, Cylinder Black Wax, 

 Improved Black Wax, Prolific German Black Wax. 

 This old variety, which has outlived its parent, originated 

 from several plants selected by Calvin Keeney and 

 W. W. Tracy, Sr., in a field of German Black Wax in 

 Genesee County, N. Y., and was introduced in 1888 

 by several seedsmen. The chief points of difference 

 between this variety and the parent German Black 

 Wax are season, which is from 1 to 3 days earlier, pods 

 that show a weaker yellow color with a shade of red on 

 neck and a reddish line along both sutures, and flower 

 stalks and branches that show more purple. The pod 

 size is slightly smaller, possibly J 4 to } 2 inch shorter, 

 straighter, and more slender. The plant has less 

 coarse foliage, with smaller and smoother leaves; similar 

 to German Black Wax. 



Pods borne mostly below the foliage, light yellow in color. 

 Quality excellent; brittle, tender, entirely stringless and fiberless 

 and moderately fine in texture. Size medium short, rather narrow 

 and slender (4-5 x fj- x J$ inch), containing 5-6 seeds per pod. 

 Shape round, nearly circular in cross-section, scimitar curved, 

 straight to slightly creasebacked, regular, very crowded, smooth, 

 filled to the tip and the edge and nearly rounded at the end. Spur 

 medium long, slender and curved. Suture, placental is flat to 

 slightly indented and carpellary, obtuse. 



Seeds small to medium, 1.15 x .65 x .45 cm. (95-100 per oz.); 

 oval, fairly plump to somewhat flattened; ends rounded and occa- 

 sionally somewhat truncate. Hilum small, flattened with a tendency 

 for a portion of the placental suture to adhere to it. Color shining 

 jet black (similar to German Black Wax) over the entire surface. 



Refugee Wax. Refs. 15, 41, 47, 48, 49, 56, 59, 

 69, 77, 80, 81, 84, 91, 99. Syns. Bolgiano's New Wax, 

 Epicure Wax, Eureka Everbearing Wax, Keeeny's 

 Refugee Wax, Livingston's Pencil Pod Wax, Profusion 

 Wax. The form of Refugee Wax now grown was selected 

 some time before 1897 by Keeney in a field of the old 

 strain (with stringy pods) of Refugee Wax. This older 

 form, or the first wax pod of this type, was introduced 

 in 1890 by J. M. Thorburn & Co. as Thorburn's 

 Refugee Wax, coming as a sport from Extra Early 

 Refugee (greenpod). D. M. Ferry & Co. also offered 

 an improved type which had been selected from the 

 old Thorburn strain. In 1900, Livingston offered 

 Livingston's Pencil -pod Wax. This was different from 

 the Pencil Pod Wax offered the same year by Johnson 

 and Stokes and by Tracy was considered the same as 

 the Stringless Refugee Wax. All strains of Refugee 

 Wax grown at Geneva during the last few years have 

 proved to be stringless. It is better known as a good 

 all round sort, although its long season is attractive to 

 both home gardener and canner. In canning quality 

 it is probably second only to Brittle Wax and to New 

 Kidney Wax, due to the somewhat light yellow color 

 of the pods and a tendency to produce curved pods in 

 dry season, as well as the dark seed coat color and the 

 green color of smaller sized pods. A second early 

 variety, 51 days to edible pods, the same in season as 

 Brittle Wax, Pencil Pod, and Davis. The foliage can 

 be compared only to other stocks of Refugee. The pods 



probably most resemble Prolific Black Wax, although 

 they are more slender, with a curved or hooked point 

 and faintly splashed with purple. 



Plant medium, 12 to 14 inches tall with spread of about 15 

 inches, appears to be quite spreading and squatty due to peculiar 

 characteristic growth; vigor good, very productive over long 

 season. Stem slender, base short, round, ridged above, internodes 

 short; branches many, becoming almost runnerlike and with slender 

 secondaries, often trailing, wholly green. Foliage dense, abundant, 

 dark grayish green, dull, smooth surface, finely veined, thin; leaflets 

 very small, 2?± to 3}j inches long, slender, only about 1?4 to 2 ] 3 

 inches wide at more than one-third distance from base, with sides 

 almost straight or gently incurved to long rather sharp tips. Flowers 

 phlox purple. 



Pods borne mostly below foliage; light yellow, splashed with 

 purple color in green shell stage. Quality good; brittle, tender, 

 stringless, nearly fiberless and occasionally slightly coarse in texture. 

 Size short to medium, medium to broad but quite plump (3} ■>— 5 

 x ? s~ie x 5s inches), containing 5 seeds in a pod. Shape nearly 

 round circular to cordate in cross-section, much curved, straight- 

 backed, regular, occasionally slightly crowded, smooth, filled to the 

 tip and edge, and rounded to truncate on the end. Spur medium 

 short, thick, and recurved. Suture, placental is flat to slightly 

 indented and carpellary, rounded. 



Seeds medium, 1.3 x .7 x .6 cm. (100 per oz.). Subcylindrical 

 or very slightly reniform, nearly circular in cross-section; abruptly 

 rounded to somewhat pointed ends. Hilum small, flat. Color 

 dark bluish-black (urania blue) mottled with pale buff (tilleul- 

 buff) over the entire surface. 



Royal Purple Wax. Syns. Mammoth Stringless 

 White Pod, Royal Wax, Stringless Yellow Pod. This 

 variety, which has found its usefulness chiefly in the 

 midwest, originated about 1900 as a sport in a field of 

 beans grown in Michigan by H. A. Johns, then president 

 of the Sioux City Seed Company. Mr. Johns found the 

 single plant and saved some seed. Since the pods were 

 very attractive, the stock was increased and introduced 

 to the trade as Royal Purple Wax. Seed of this variety 

 is quite individual in shape and color, indicating that 

 it is probably a hybrid. Nothing is known as to the 

 name of the variety growing in the field where it was 

 found. At Geneva it was one of the earliest with pods 

 ready to pick in 47 to 49 days, only a day or so later than 

 Challenge. In length and plumpness the pod resembles 

 Challenge Black Wax but is somewhat broader and 

 lacks the long slender tip as well as being of a deep 

 waxy yellow color. It compares with Crystal White 

 Wax in tenderness. The foliage resembles that of 

 Valentine Wax. 



Plant small to medium, 12 to 14 inches tall with spread of 

 15 to 17 inches; erect, compact, runnerless; vigor good, yield 

 moderate over fairly long season; stems stout, round, internodes 

 short; branches few, green throughout. Foliage abundant, medium 

 to dark green, dull, only slightly roughened, medium veined, thick; 

 leaflets 3 } 2 inches long, 3 inches wide, terminal leaflet quite rounded, 

 side leaflets more quadrangular. Flowers rose purple. 



Pods borne very largely above the foliage; medium light 

 yellow in color, later slightly tinted with purple. Quality good to 

 excellent; stringless, fiberless, brittle, quite fleshy but rather coarse 

 in texture. Size medium long, broad and quite plump (4—5 x 

 "n - 1 2 x re inches), containing 5-6 seeds per pod. Shape round, 

 nearly circular in cross-section, much curved, distinctly crease- 

 backed, moderately constricted, not crowded, smooth, filled to the 

 tip and the edge and moderately rounded on the end. Spur 

 moderately long, stout; slightly curved and then recurved. Suture, 

 placental is indented and carpellary, decidedly rounded. 



