August 29, 1891. 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
831 
French Beans at Chiswick. 
Judging from the number of varieties now in culti¬ 
vation, it is evident that considerable interest is 
centred in the dwarf French Bean by a large com¬ 
munity of growers, both amateur and professional. 
An extensive trial of them is being conducted this 
year in the gardens of the Royal Horticultural 
Society. The amount of variation is considerable, 
even confining it to pods which differ in length, 
breadth, and thickness, as well as in colour, flesku 
ness, and stringless character or otherwise. The 
ripe seeds also differ in colour, but that is a matter 
that more concerns the seedsman .or. those who con¬ 
sume the seeds in a mature condition. Then the 
stems vary in height and vigour ; the leaves vary in 
their hue and size ; the flowers vary in colour; and, 
lastly,' the plants reach maturity at an. early, or lg.te 
period.. These latter differences are .matters which 
largely concern the gardener, especially the -earlinefcs 
or lateness of the variety,- the former determining 
when the first dish may be gathered, and the latter 
prolonging the season till frost cuts the.plants.down 
or till the tall Runner Beans take, their place. The 
height, early character,of the plant, and its bearing 
capabilities are matters of the greatest importance 
to those who force Beans in winter. 
In a cursory examination of the varieties to be 
seen at Chiswick the above differences are more or 
less evident to the most casual observer, but there 
are undoubtedly many kinds which approach each 
other very closely and would require a close acquain¬ 
tance with them during the growing and- ripening 
period to distinguish them. The exhibitors’ wants 
must not be overlooked, for it will be found that a 
large number of useful kinds would not figure well 
on the exhibition table. Even a trial of this sort 
would enable the exhibitor to make a selection. 
There are several long and broad as well as narrow 
podded kinds, which for their evenness, straightness, 
and general firmness, would weigh heavily with the 
judges in making their awards. 
Early Varieties. 
There are several varieties which (when we made 
an examination of them on the 22nd inst.) were so 
far advanced that the pods were beyond being fit for 
use, while the foliage in those cases was generally 
passing into the sere and yellow stage.. Now those 
kinds were fit for gathering several weeks ‘ ago. 
Amongst these are Early Emile, a compact variety 
about 9 in. high and of sturdy habit. The pods are 
of medium length and width. Sir Joseph Paxton is 
somewhat taller, compact, fruitful, and otherwise 
similar. Yellow and Early Chalandry is somewhat 
similar in relation to the pods, but the plants are 
amongst the dwarfest in the collection, being only 
about 6 in. high. A sowing from two different 
sources showed the variety to be a prolific one in 
relation to the size of the plants. Smythe's Black 
Hybrid has short deep green pods showing the 
position of the seeds when full. It crops well, and 
the foliage is now commencing to ripen. Wax Mont 
d’Or is a pale yellow or Butter Podded kind of 
excellent quality. The plant grows about 6in. or 
9 in. high, and the inflated fleshy pod is. 3 in. or 4 in. 
long, and now passing beyond use. It is a pity that 
the colour of the pod should prevent them from 
being more largely used. The public have yet to 
learn that a green hue does not always indicate good 
quality in vegetables, and excellent Beans, both 
Runner and Dwarf, are disguised in a sallow, sickly 
looking hue. They constitute very tender eating. 
The Wax Long Podded Black is another Butter Bean, 
about equally early and prolific, but the pods are 
longer, sometimes attaining a length of 6 in. The 
Early Prolific Nigger is a stage later, and varies 
from 12 in. to 18 in. high, with green pods of good 
shape, 3 in. to 6 in. long, and is prolific. Extra 
Early is now commencing to ripen and has long, 
curved, inflated pods, but its earliness hardly 
warrants the name compared with the others above 
mentioned. 
Dwarf Sorts. 
White Flageolet bears a good crop of long, narrow, 
smooth pods. The foliage of Flageolet Nettle-leaved 
Canterbury are very much wrinkled and of a rich 
dark green. It is very prolific, and has long, narrow, 
and straight pods. Altogether it is very distinct 
and worthy of a place in large collections. Like 
OUiers in this group the general height of the plants 
is about 12 ins, Flageolet Chevrier has also narrow 
pods and bears well, but the foliage is different. The 
foliage of Green Gem is of a dark hue, and the 
narrow pods are somewhat curved. The pods of 
Pride of Lyons are long, of medium width, smooth, 
and striped or splashed with purple. The leaves are 
broad, and the plant prolific, a matter of some com 
sideration. Somewhat similar is Syon House, but 
the pods although marked in the same way are 
relatively shorter and broader. The plant is-very 
prolific although only 9 ins. to 12 ins, high. Like 
Wax Mont d’Or it was awarded three marks by the 
Fruit Committee. A'similar award was made to Ne 
Plus Ultra from three different sources. The plant is 
compact in habit, gins, to 12 ins. high, and is very 
prolific. The pods are-.straight, narrow, 4ms. to 
6 ins. long, and fine looking. It ought really to be 
classed amongst the early kinds. One of the most 
striking distinct kinds in the collection is the Purple 
Podded, about as early as the last named. The pod 
is of medium length and width and is of a blackish- 
purple, while the foliage is of a bronzy-purple. The 
colour would probably appear rather peculiar when 
boiled to those unacquainted with it. 
_ . .. Strong Growing Kinds. 
The varieties coming under this heading would 
vary from ,12 in. to 18 in., and in rare .instances to 
2 ft. or 3 ft., the latter resembling in some degree, a 
Scarlet Runner. The majority however seldom 
exceed 18 ins. and are useful for border culture.as 
they generally serve to prolong the season by their con¬ 
tinued growth. White Flageolet has long and narrow 
pods while those of Scimitar White are long and broad, 
almost like those of a Scarlet Runner. Unique 
White grows 18 in. to 24 in. high, and is inclined to 
run, producing long, almost straight pods in succes¬ 
sion. Longwood grows about 18 in. high and is very 
vigorous, with long pods but not very numerous. A 
sowing from another source was dwarfer and more 
fruitful. Somewhat dwarfer is Smythe's White 
Hybrid, with narrow and well shaped pods of medium 
length. The foliage is very light in hue. The long 
and narrow pods of Green-seeded Bagnolet are 
plentifully produced and good in shape. A similar 
statement may.. be made concerning King of the 
Greens, but the foliage is much darker in hue. 
. Mohawk bears long and broad fine looking pods, 
and was accorded three marks by .the Fruit Com¬ 
mittee, as .was Smythe's Speckled and Fulmer's 
Forcing. The former has long, narrow pods, and 
the latter broad and long ones. Osborne's Forcing 
bears a fine looking pod, but is evidently not very 
prolific. The latter statement may be made with 
regard to Best of All, the pods of which are about 
6 ins. long. That named China has short and broad 
pods. Light Dun, has pods 4 in. to 6 in. long, and 
bears well. Yellow Small Oval 100 for 1, has short 
and very narrow pods. The same may be said of 
Good Gardener’s which is of dwarfer habit. Of 
similar character with regard to the pods isNewington 
Wonder, but it is much taller and more prolific as a 
rule. Canadian Wonder is a tall sort, 18 in. to 24 in. 
high, inclined to run, and very late owing to the 
continuous growth of the plant. The same sort from 
another source is apparently earlier with pods Sin. to 
gin. long, and fairly.broad. Wax Canterbury and 
Flageolet Wax are Butter Beans with yellow pods 
about 6.in. long, and stems about 18 in. high. They 
are therefore more vigorous than the Butter Beans 
already mentioned, and bear .well. 
Smythe’s Dun-coloured. Hybrid is of fair average 
merit,-but Dark Dun was considered worthy of three 
marks. The leaves are broad and of a deep green, 
while the finely shaped, pods are 6 ins. long and of 
medium, width. Another sort, named Chocolate, 
with similar pods, also bears heavily. A vigorous 
kind is Negro Mammoth, bearing a good crop of 
pods, 6 ins. to 9 ins. long, of moderate width and 
good shape. The Negro Black is somewhat similar 
to the Early Prolific Nigger, but is, perhaps, some¬ 
what later in reaching maturity. The Shah Black 
appears to have something of the Scarlet Runner blood 
in it, so to speak, for the stems are 2 ft. or 3 ft. high, 
and, owing to their continued growth, afford a suc¬ 
cession of pods, which are 6 ins. long, very narrow, 
and rather fine in appearance. The above is a des¬ 
cription of a goodly proportion of the kinds grown at 
Chiswick, but several others, less meritorious, we 
have left unnoticed. Those recorded are more than 
sufficient for any collection, whether large or small, 
and growers should make a selection of the kinds 
that best suit thair requirements, 
OUR MARKET. 
It is Saturday, and there is now seen in all the 
streets converging on to our market square a con¬ 
tinuous stream of people. Our weekly Saturday 
market is a varied one, but inasmuch as Sunday 
seems universally the day of bodily feasting, although 
presumably given over to spiritual devotion, it is no 
matter for surprise, if the chief articles of trade in our 
market are of the food order, and intended to satisfy 
the Drawings■ of the physical-natures of humanity. 
Qurs is an important town. It is not so very far 
from. the.great metropolis ; indeed,.it. seems to form 
one of those outlying forts of dense population which, 
scattered all round London, present .as it were 
artificial defences to the capital. 
We have around and in our town a large popula¬ 
tion, and a hungry one withal, for it needs much 
feeding, and on the whole consumes liberally of 
the provisions which our town contains. But our 
market constitutes a point of periodical development 
of our town’s trade, for there on Saturday, do 
butchers, grocers, greengrocers, .fruiterers, fish¬ 
mongers and various other traders resort. The local 
authority, which in this case is our corporation-, 
furnishes each trader a suitable stall or stand where 
to display his goods, and beneath the canvas cover- 
ing-he finds shelter from the sun in summer and 
such protection as he may from the rains and snows 
of winter. 
After the mediaeval style, our Market House is 
erected upon columns so that beneath the Hall, 
which is the seat of stern Justice, butchers and 
others chiefly dispense their animal produce. The 
outer area forms a triangle, and whilst the internal 
area has its variety of stalls of a most miscellaneous 
nature, nearly all the external ones are devoted to 
garden produce, including plants, cut flowers in 
great profusion, fruits and vegetables. All these 
products vary with the season and in the winter are, 
of course, less prominent than just now, when every 
section is well represented. Our market is of such a 
respectable order that positively "carriage folk" 
patronise it largely early in the day, and do not 
scruple to bargain at the stalls for such articles as 
may be needed. 
If the working class section, whose privilege so far 
it is to ride only on "Shanks’ ponies " do mot put in 
appearance at the market until later in the day, it is be¬ 
cause perhaps the Saturday wage is paid later, or 
perhaps it is a poor man’s tradition that shopping 
should always be left till Saturday night ; or perhaps 
it is possible that a little consideration of a pecuniary 
nature enters into the arrangement, and that as the 
hours wear on the prices fpr articles.will.be reduced. 
That is, however, but a probable process when the 
besf has gone and the worst only is left,: 
It is very pleasant to find plants-,.and . flowers 
especially so much in request. Some of the plant 
vendors/are local growers, some are only -dealers, and 
it would seem as if. these latter, getting their stuff 
from Covent Garden Market, generally bad the best 
samples. That is but natural, however,, as no small 
local growers can possibly compete with the regular 
market grower, with whose remarkable plants and 
blooms: we have long been so. familiar. In ordinary 
seasons there may be seen inihjs market all sorts of 
plants, both of flowers .. audl vegetables, ready for 
planting... put. Of the latter . now the chief are 
Cabbages and Celery. Of greenhouse window plants 
there are Palms,, Ferns,;, positively a ,few Orchids, 
but these are chiefly intended to act as decoys, 
Coleus, Begonias, Fuchsias,. Zonak Pelargoniums, in 
variety ; -Lobelias, Asters, . Marguerites, Liliums, 
India Rubbers, Aspidistras, Petunias, Godetias, &c., 
all on the whole very good stuff, and cheap. 
Then of. cut flowers, the which are in great variety. 
Sweet Peas, Ox-eye Daisies, Double Matricarias, 
Annual Chrysanthemums, white double Achillea, 
Roses, Marigolds, Pansies, Callendulas, Asters, 
Carnations, scarlet double and other Pelargoniums, 
tall Bulrushes, Dogwood-Berries, double and single 
Sunflowers, Cornflowers, in fact a myriad of sorts 
almost. Could it be possible to show that cut 
flowers left exposed to the sun and air all day with¬ 
out water, suffered as living creatures do under 
similar conditions, a good case for interference on 
behalf of the suffering flowers could be found in our 
market, and it is a matter for wonder that at this 
ti me of the year ample provision of water for the poor 
flowers is not made. 
Naturally as the day advances many of them fade 
or have lost all their charms. What a wealth of fruit 
