48 



AMERICAN VARIETIES OF GARDEN BEANS. 



ford's mammoth pole lima. 



Listed by 27 seedsmen. Seeds tested: Fish, 1903; Johnson & Stokes, 1902, 1904- 

 1906; Thorium, 1897; Vaughan, 1906. 



Description. — Vine of very large growth, of good climbing habit, much branched, 

 thick stemmed, late, very heavily productive, long in bearing. Leaf very large, dark 

 green. Flowers white. Green shell pods dark green, straight, inclined to curl from 

 side to side, somewhat depressed between seeds, fairly uniform in size, very large, of 

 good width, distinctly narrow compared with other Limas, about 6 inches long, and 

 usually containing 5 or 6 seeds somewhat separated in pod. Point or spur of pod 

 absent or insignificant. Quality of green shell beans excellent. Dry seeds very large, 

 almost as wide as long, very flattish through cross section, generally well rounded at 

 ends, usually larger at one end than at other, incurved at eye, very distinctly veined, 

 white with slight greenish tinge. 



Comparison. — A well-known standard variety, being perhaps one of the six most 

 largely grown pole Limas. Longest podded of all Limas excepting Long-Podded Pole. 

 Same as King of Garden in general usefulness and value, differing principally in longer, 

 proportionally narrower, and straighter pods with more tendency to curl from side to 

 side. Much misrepresented by inferior and mixed stocks in same way as described for 

 King of Garden. 



History. — Introduced in 1893 by Johnson & Stokes, who write that the variety origi- 

 nated with James Ford, a market gardener of Philadelphia, Pa. 



Illustrations. — Dry seeds and cross section of green shell pods are similar to Large 

 White Pole Lima (PI. Ill, 22, and PI. V, 31, respectively); green shell pods resemble 

 King of Garden (PI. XXII, 1). 



HENDERSONS IDEAL POLE LIMA. 



Listed by 1 seedsman. Seeds tested: Henderson, 1906. 



Description. — Vine of very large growth, of good climbing habit, much branched, 

 thick stemmed, late, very heavily productive, long in bearing. Leaf very large, dark 

 green. Flowers white. Green shell pods dark green, very straight, flat, very uni- 

 form in size, very large, about 5| inches long, and usually containing 5 or 6 seeds well 

 separated in pod. Point or spur of pod absent or insignificant. Quality of green shell 

 beans excellent. Dry seeds very large, almost as wide as long, very flattish through 

 cross section, generally well rounded at ends, usually larger at one end than at other, 

 incurved at eye, very distinctly veined, white with slight greenish tinge. 



Comparison. — New and as yet little known and planted. For combination of large, 

 straight, handsome pods, large seed, and great productiveness, this variety is superior 

 to any other sort. It is the best of all Limas for main crop, and although merely an 

 improvement over King of Garden, it is so distinctly superior to present type of that 

 variety as to deserve a new name. Its superiority is especially noticeable in its 

 straighter pods- and freedom from the many undersized, curved, twisted, and imper- 

 fectly shaped pods such as are commonly found in most stocks of King of Garden. 



History. — Introduced in 1906 by Peter Henderson & Co. 



Illustrations. — Dry seeds and cross section of green shell pods are similar to Large 

 White Pole Lima (PI. Ill, 22, and PI. V, 31, respectively), and green shell pods to 

 .King of Garden (PI. XXII, 1). 



KING OF GARDEN POLE LIMA. 



Listed by 122 seedsmen. Seeds tested: Burpee, 1897, 1900; Ferry, 1906; Fish, 

 1903; Johnson & Stokes, 1902, 1904, 1906; Thorburn, 1901, 1904, 1905. 



Description. — Vine of very large growth, of good climbing habit, much branched, 

 thick stemmed, late, very heavily productive, long in bearing. Leaf very large, 



109 



