16 



AMERICAN VARIETIES OF GARDEN BEANS. 



names of seedsmen be given upon whose samples variety descriptions 

 are based. It does not seem worth while, however, to publish occa- 

 sional or temporary errors which occur in supplying seed orders. 

 Mistakes in variety types are sometimes unavoidable, and the relia- 

 bility of different seed houses is ascertainable only by a large number 

 of tests, much larger, in fact, than it is usually profitable to make. 

 The question of locality for bean varieties has not yet become impor- 

 tant in the United States. This is largely because most of the seed 

 at present is obtained from a few well-recognized localities, and also 

 because it is not yet certainly known whether beans coming from 

 particular localities are really superior to those from other localities. 

 No mention is therefore made in the following descriptions as to where 

 the seed samples were grown. Most of the Kidney bush sorts, how- 

 ever, were probably grown either in New York, Michigan, or Wiscon- 

 sin, and most of the pole and Lima varieties in California. 



Variety forms. — In comparing vegetable varieties a regular order 

 of description should be followed. Some kind of variety form is nec- 

 essary to avoid omission of the qualities on which information is 

 desired, as well as to make reports orderly, precise ; and comparable 

 with those of other experimenters. 



VARIETY FORMS FOR BUSH KIDNEY BEANS. 



The characters referred to in the variety descriptions of this bul- 

 letin are explained here in the same order in which they are fol- 

 lowed in the descriptions of the variety types. In addition to these 

 general characters, there are some others peculiar to one or several 

 varieties which are not mentioned, but are discussed in the descrip- 

 tions of the varieties possessing them. Following each character 

 are generally given the terms used to express its variation. Where 

 no such degrees are noted there is either no great variation in the 

 character or else the varieties are too numerous and irregular to 

 admit of a concise expression of the same. 



Size of 'plant (very large, large, large-medium, medium, small- 

 medium, small, very small). — Size of plant is largely indicative of 

 season and productiveness, and ranges from varieties so large that, 

 like the California field sorts, they require a distance of 32 inches or 

 more between rows to varieties so small that, like the small garden 

 varieties, they require but half the distance of the field sorts, and 

 even then do not fill the rows as completely. The variations for 

 strictly garden beans range from Hodson Wax, for the large sorts, to 

 Taylor's Green Pod, for the very small kinds. 



Habit of plant (very erect, erect, somewhat spreading, spreading, 

 very spreading). — Erectness refers to the tendency of plants to grow 

 upright, stiff, and rigid, instead of drooping, spreading, and develop- 



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