
REPORT 
OF THE 
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR ON BEANS. 
INTRODUCTORY, 
In addition to the seventy-nine named beans grown at the Station 
in 1882, all of which have been again grown in 1883, one hundred and — 
seventy-two other varieties or names of varieties were obtained and 
planted. Some, however, failed to vegetate. The additions consist 
of twenty-one varieties other than those grown last year obtained from 
various American sources. Torty-two varieties under French names 
from Vilmorin-Andrieux et Cie., Paris, France; twenty-four German 
varieties under Hnglish names from Ernst Benary, Erfurt, Germany ; 
twenty-nine German varieties under German names through the 
kindness of Mr. W. H. Kent, Gottingen, Germany; five unnamed va- 
rieties from Venezuela, through the kindness of Hon. Horatio N. 
Beach, U. 8. Consul, Puerto Cabello ; nineteen varieties of the south- 
ern Cow Pea from various sources ; eight varieties of the Japanese 
Soja bean (Soja hispida, Moench) from various sources, three of them 
through the kindness of H. Saze, Tokio, Japan; seven miscellaneous 
novelties, mostly from Japan, from H. Sibley & Co., Rochester, N. 
Y., and eighteen selected variations from the Station crop of 1882. 
Of course many of these, especially the foreign ones, were found to 
be identical with those already grown, but this will be treated in de- 
tail further on. 
Owing to the cold weather throughout the season, and the early 
frosts, the Lima beans and the Southern Cow Peas matured no crop at 
all, some of them not even blooming. Of the other varieties, many 
failed to ripen a full crop for the same reason, It was noticed through- 
out the season that the foreign varieties were more, backward in devel- 
opment than nearly related varieties that were home-grown, this late- 
ness in many cases being the only point of distinction between a na- 
_ tive and a foreign variety. The varieties from Venezuela and France 
were noted as being relatively later than those from Germany. 
Of the ‘‘ Wax ” beans, the Golden Butter Wax may be mentioned 
~ as one of the very best. It was earlier in arriving at edible maturity 
than any other. The pure golden yellow pods are very fleshy and 
