RUNNER BEANS AT 'WISLEY, 1918. 



95 



RUNNER BEANS AT WISLEY, 191 8. 



Sixty stocks of runner beans were received for trial in 1918. They 

 were sown in rows 33 feet long, and 6 feet apart, with 9 inches 

 between the seeds, on May 22. Germination was good in nearly all 

 cases, a few seeds missing in Nos. 10, 26, 42, 47, and 59. They made 

 good growth from the start, and, without exception, produced good 

 crops. They were stopped at about 8 feet in height. The soil had 

 not received any manure since 1916, and was simply dug after the 

 preceding crop (peas in part, beet in part) in the spring of 1918. 

 The cultivation of these and other trials reported here were under 

 the charge of Mr. J. Wilson, garden foreman. 



The Runner Bean is derived from Phaseolus multiflorus, and has 

 long been cultivated, giving rise to a considerable number of named 

 forms. The principal variations are in height, and in colour of flower 

 and seed, but, in addition to this, continued selection has given strains 

 producing very long, broad, straight, flat pods, and has increased the 

 cropping capacity by perhaps 50 per cent., while a certain amount 

 of variation is to be seen in the texture of the pod, the thickness of 

 its flesh, its toughness as it ages, and so on. In many cases distinctive 

 names have been given to these improved forms, but they need constant 

 selection in order to maintain the standard of excellence, and in many 

 cases are rather to be looked upon as strains than distinct varieties. 

 An attempt has been made to group together the strains in the trial 

 bearing most resemblance to one another, but the lines of demarcation 

 are by no means clear. There is, however, in the scarlet-flowered 

 section on the whole a gradual rise from the shorter to the longer 

 podded strains, and an improvement in the straightness and flatness 

 of the pods. It must not, however, be thought that the shorter 

 podded forms have lost their value in the garden, and especially in 

 the market garden, for short pods when packed travel with much less 

 damage than the long, and the Judging Committee, recognizing this, 

 recommended awards to certain strains for this purpose. These are 

 noted in the descriptions. 



The Judging Committee inspected the Runner Beans on August 22, 

 and made the folio wing recommendations : 



First Class Certificate. 



28. Prizewinner, sent by Messrs. Dickson & Robinson. 

 Award 0] Merit. 



14. Ai, sent by Messrs. Sutton. 

 24. Scarlet Runner, sent by Messrs. Sutton. 

 *35- Scarlet Emperor, sent by Messrs. Carter. 



* These awards were made for special fitness for market purposes. 



