Penn Wonder Pepper 
An Extra Early Variety Offered For The First Time 

PENN WONDER Is Very Early; Has Thick Flesh, Blocky, Smooth Fruits. 
ORIGIN A new variety, offered for the first time in 1948. Developed at the Pennsylvania 
Agricultural Experiment Station, this introduction is a cross of California Wonder 
by Harris Earliest. In addition to being one cf the earliest varieties, Harris Earliest also tends 
to produce mature fruits in rapid succession atter picking starts. 
EARLINESS The object of this new cross was to develop a new pepper having the earli- 
ness and productivity of Harris Earliest, plus the vigor, size, and thick flesh of 
California Wonder. In our seed fields we found Penn Wonder to be nearly two weeks earlier 
than California Wonder and Florida Giant. 
VIGOROUS The plants are vigorous, and produce an abundance of medium size 
PLANT GROWTH fruits, which are thick walled and blocky in shape. The number of 
lobes varies from two to four, with three lobes the most common. 
HIGH YIELD Since this variety is early, prolific, and the fruits are thick fleshed, the yield 
tends to be high. In the pepper variety trials at the Pennsylvania State 
College in 1944 and 1945 Penn Wonder outyielded all other varieties in trial. 
This table from a publication of the Pennsylvania State College. 


Character California Wonder Harris Earliest Penn Wonder 
Maturity Late iseig yee Ecrives 
Plant type Vigorous** Fairly vigorous Vigorous** 
Fruit size icrge small Medium 
Fruit type Blocky** Fairly blocky Blocky** 
Fruit wall nicks S Thin ‘hicks 
Fruitfulness Fairly fruitful Very truitful** Very fruitful** 
Production 
Green fruit Usually good** Fair Good** 
Red fruit Fair Not desirable Good** 

**Indicate desirable characters. 
OUR OBSERVATIONS After growing this variety one season we like its earliness, and 
OF PENN WONDER ability to produce mature fruits in rapid succession atter the picking 
season starts. The fruits are medium size, not as large as Florida 
Giant or California Wonder. In our field this season they averaged about 314 inches in diam- 
eter by 3 7/8 inches in length. Most fruits are blocky, but some are more pointed than Calli- 
fornia Wonder, and somewhat resemble a medium size World Beater. Penn Wonder will ap- 
parently make high yields, because it sets very heavily; it kept on picking good when the 
other varieties we grew were practically finished. 
Prices: PENN WONDER—Pkt. 20c; oz. 75c: 14 Ib. $3.00; 14 lb. $5.50; 1 lb. $10.00. Post- 
paid. 
