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AMERICAN VARIETIES OF GARDEN BEANS. 



probably earlier than any of the green-podded sorts, it often becomes very useful to 

 market gardeners; but for home planting or for general use it not only lacks in produc- 

 tiveness and long bearing period but is also not nearly so reliable a cropper, so hardy, 

 or so large and handsome podded as Prolific Black Wax, Pencil Pod Black Wax, 

 and many others. In general usefulness and value, the variety is almost the same as 

 Valentine Wax; but in appearance of vine and pod it is most like German Black Wax, 

 differing principally in having much smaller pods and plants, in being much earlier 

 in season, and less productive and shorter in bearing period. 



History. — Introduced in 1891 by D. M. Ferry & Co. and said to have originated 

 with Rogers Brothers, of Chaumont, N. Y., from a single plant found in a lot of beans 

 imported from Germany. 



Illustrations. — Snap pods and cross section are similar to Prolific Black Wax (PI. 

 VII, 4, and PI. V, 8, respectively), differing principally in smaller size. 



CRYSTAL WAX. 



Listed by 18 seedsmen. Seeds tested: Burpee, 1901; Ferry, 1900, 1902, 1904-1906; 

 Rogers, 1904; Wood, 1905. 



Description. — Plant large-medium, low growing, very spreading in habit, of many 

 runner-like branches lying loosely over ground, slender stemmed, green throughout, 

 late, of moderate to long bearing period, moderately productive. Leaf small, medium 

 green, wide across leaflets, of smooth surface. Flowers white. Snap pods somewhat 

 variable in size, very short, curved, round or roundish rectangular through cross sec- 

 tion, very deeply creasebacked, whitish or grayish green, brittle, stringy, of small 

 fiber, of good quality, fairly free from anthracnose. Point of pod small-medium, 

 straight or slightly curved. Green shell pods borne mostly well below foliage, gener- 

 ally more or less tinged with purple, never distinctly splashed, of very loose, flabby 

 pod walls, about 3f inches long, and usually containing 6 seeds well separated in pod. 

 Dry pods extremely hard to thrash. Dry seeds very small, proportionally short, 

 roundish oval through cross section, generally well rounded at ends, straight at eye, 

 solid white. 



Comparison. — Although known for a long time, this variety has always remained 

 one of the lesser grown sorts. Its lack of popularity is due not only to its late season, 

 spreading habit, and extremely small pods but also to its uneven and mixed char- 

 acter, nearly all stocks containing pods varying in shape from round to flat and plants 

 very similar to or identical with Navy Pea. Of little practical value to gardeners 

 but interesting to amateurs on account of peculiarly silvery or grayish white pods, no 

 other variety except Golden Refugee having pods at all like it in color. The vine 

 is similar in habit to Refugee and pods are somewhat the shape of Refugee Wax, 

 though much shorter. Seeds so closely resemble Navy Pea that substitutes of cheaper 

 seed are made by unscrupulous growers. 



Synonyms. — Silver Wax, Cabbage Wax (of T. W. Wood & Sons), Silver Bean, Ice 

 Bean. 



History. — First listed by seedsmen in this country about 1886. 



Illustrations. — Seeds are shown on Plate IV, 3; cross section of snap pod on Plate 

 V, 7; snap pods are similar in shape to Yankee Winter (PI. X, 4), differing principally 

 in being much smaller and less rectangular through cross section; leaf is similar to 

 Snowflake (PI. XXIII, 5). 



currie's rustproof wax. 



Listed by 95 seedsmen. Seeds tested: Currie, 1904, 1905; Ferry, 1900; Keeney, 

 1904, 1905; Philipps, 1903; Rogers, 1904, 1906; Sioux City, 1905; Thorburn, 1900, 

 1902; Wood, 1903; Young and Halstead, 1904. 

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