I'i 1 iixhrixrp ^i hxbsval HtAb M^grhnolongg BREEDIIilli Improved HORTieUlTlIRAl PUHTS STATION BULLETIN 380 The Agricultural Experiment Station The University of New Hampshire, Durham, N. H. APRIL 1950 TABLE OF CONTENTS page FOREWORD 3 TOMATOES Chatham or Home Garden 4 Orange King 4 New Hampshire Victor 4, 6 Orange Chatham 6 Windowbox 6 Tiny Tim 6-7 Dixville 7 High C 7-8 Dixville 9-10 Continued Work With High Vitamin C Tomatoes 9-10 AAELONS White Mountain Watermelon 10 New Hampshire Midget Watermelon 10 Colebrook Watermelon 10-1 1 Granite State Muskmelon 11-12 Other Muskmelon Breeding 12, 14 SQUASHES Bush Buttercup 14-15 Baby Blue 15-16 PEPPERS Merrimack Wonder 17 PEAS Mayflower 17 EGGPLANT New Hampshire 18 POPCORN Popinjay 18-19 Carnival 19 BEANS Brilliant Horticultural 19 Flash Horticultural ....; 20 Other Horticultural Bean Breeding 20 White Mountain Bush Lima 20-21 Cowey Red Lima 21 Tiny Green Snapbean 21-22 Other Snap Bean Breeding 22 Runner Bean Breeding 23 CABBAGE AND CHINESE CABBAGE 23 CARROTS 23 The cover picture is by P. E. Genereux, E, Lynn, Mass. mmu Improved HORTICIILTllRil PIASTS By A. F. Yeager Professor of Horticulture THE PLANT-BREEDING PROGRAM •at the Agricultural Experiment Station is an important activity in the Uni- versity of New Hampshire's Depart- ment of Horticulture. So far, little has been printed (except in com- mercial nursery and seed catalogues and in short, widely scattered notes) about the tangible results of the pro- gram. This is the first of a series of two publications which were planned to tell you about some of the accom- plishments of the plant-breeding pro- gram. It is concerned with vegta- bles. The second publication dis- cusses fruits, nuts, and ornamentals. This series presents the accomplish- ments of the plant-breeding program as a unit. And where some progress has been made, it outlines the breed- ing program with crops, even though no named varieties have yet been in- troduced. The development of a new plant variety (which may require a period of years) involves the efforts of many people. The plant-breeding program at the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station is one of team- work. The author directed and car- ried out the program with the aid of the following persons: J. R. Hepler, who did most of the work connected with the production of the New Hampshire hybrid eggplant and con- ducted a variety trial of peppers from which Merrimack Wonder start- ed on its way; E. M. Meader, who was responsible for the original crosses from which Brilliant and Flash Horticultural beans and Popinjay pop- corn were developed; W. D. Holley, who led the work in flower breeding and also began the breeding work with Lima beans; L. P. Latimer, who has done the major work in straw- berry breeding; and W. W. Smith, who selected and crossed blueberries. During the past eight years many University students have participated in crossing and self-pollinating plants. They have also kept records and eval- uated finished products. Workmen at the greenhouses and the University farm have contributed valuable sug- gestions for carrying on the program. The Home Economics Department has made cooking tests and Dr. Helen Pur- ington of the Department of Agricul- tural and Biological Chemistry made many analyses which have been tised in making selections. The University greenhouses have provided excellent facilities for the acceleration of the plant-breeding program. The production of a new vegetable variety which is to be pro- pagated by seed normally requires seven generations of self-pollinated plants to purify it. But this time may be materially shortened if one gener- ation of the crop is raised in the field with the second and third gener- ations raised in the greenhouse dur- ing the first and second halves of the winter. It is possible to follow this procedure with many crops, thus re- ducing the time for rounding out the seven generations of experimental plants from seven to a little more than two years. I. VEGETABLES New Hampshire Plant-breeding Program Experiments with TOMATOES PEAS POPCORN SQUASHES EGGPLANT CABBAGE CARROTS MELONS PEPPERS BEANS early varieties which can be ma- tured in the northern part of the state where the growing season is extremely short; (2) the develop- ment of tomatoes of higher nutritive value. CHATHAM OR HOME GARDEN The Chatham variety of tomato is particularly suited to short-season sections of New Hampshire. It is also grown as an extremely early variety in the southern part of the state where the fruit is sold in com- petition with the trellis-grown Comet. Chatham's parents were Victor and Redskin. This variety was not wholly produced at the New Hamp- shire Agricultural Experiment Sta- tion. It was introduced from the Michigan Station after the author moved to New Hampshire. Final selections were tested at the New Hampshire Station before they were named. A picture of this variety is shown on the opposite page. ORANGE KING The Orange King variety resulted from a cross between the Neiv Hamp- shire Victor and Orange Dawn, the latter an orange sport of Scarlet Daunt. Orange King is an orange- fleshed variety, is determinate in vine type, and bears fairly large oblate fruits which ripen at a medi- um early time. As the orange flesh is much more attractive than yellow, the variety is appreciated by people who like the golden color of its flesh and its mild flavor. See opposite page for a picture of Orange King. NEW HAMPSHIRE VICTOR The breeding work with tomatoes The JSeiv Hampshire Victor varie- has proceeded along two principal ty came from a cross between Allred lines: (1) the development of very and Mar globe, made first at the The New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station's plant-breeding program has made its most rapid progress with vegetable crops be- cause the nature of the plants adapts them more readily than fruits to its advancement. Vegetables can be developed more quickly than fruits and they do not require as much space while they are maturing. Many vegetables can complete a generation in a year or less but fruits need a much longer time. An apple tree, for instance, requires ten years to fruit from seed and it takes a long time to pro- duce and distribute a good new variety. It is obvious, too, that an apple tree needs much more space than a bean plant to mature. These are some of the reasons why fruit- breeding operations are more expen- sive and more time-consuming than those carried on with vegetables. The results of some of the Sta- tion's plant-breeding experiments with vegetables follow. TOMATOES No transplanting is necessary with the Early Chatham or Home Garden tomato (top) and the fruit may be grown direct from the garden. This variety with its smooth, light-red fruit of high quality is particularly adapted to the short growing seasons of North- ern New Hampshire. The Orange King (bottom) ma- tures a little later than Chatham. The fruit is attractive in color, the flavor is mild, and the vitamin content is higher than most common varieties. North Dakota Agricultural Experi- ment Station. Selections from this cross were grown at the Michigan Experiment Station along with cross- es between Allred and Break-0-Day, the parents of the Victor variety. When these various selected strains were moved to New Hamp- shire, it was found that under local conditions, the selections from Allred crossed with Marglobe retained their foliage somewhat better than did the standard Victor variety. Hence, this selection was named New Hampshire Victor as an especially adapted va- riety of early, large-fruited, red to- mato of the determinate plant type. ORANGE CHATHAM The Orange Chatham variety was produced for the benefit of gardeners living in the sections of New Hamp- shire with short growing seasons. It came by crossing Chatham with Orange King and then selecting from this cross an extremely early, round, orange-fruited plant. It is primarily a novelty variety. WINDOWBOX Windowbox came from a cross be- tween Dwarf Champion and Redskin. It combines the dwarf stiff plant characteristics of Dwarf Champion with the extreme earliness and de- terminate growth habit of Redskin. The object of making this cross was to try to furnish a tomato which would produce one large cluster of fruit on a plant about the size of a bush-bean plant, early enough so that the seed could be planted in the field under good growing conditions. Windoivhox will do this. Its name originated during World War II when an invalid who lived in the city asked if there was any- thing that she could raise in a win- dowbox to produce food. This to- mato was sent to the woman and she successfully raised it. Windowbox tomatoes are of satisfactory slicing size, although they are somewhat smaller than may be desired for the general market. The variety also has proved satisfactory as an out-of- doors tomato in short seasons. The plants may be set six inches to one foot apart in the row with a distance of three feet between the rows. Tiny Tim, a variety for winter ornament or summer cropping. TINY TIM Tiny Tim (shown above) came from a class plant-breeding project. The object was to discover how small a tomato plant that would mature fruit could be produced. A cross was made between Windowbox and Red Currant. Plants were selected for determinate growth habit, dwarfness, small fruits, and small plants. The result was the development of the Tiny Tim variety. This variety can be grown and matured nicely in a SVij-inch pot. It was given the name "Tiny Tim" be- Dixville, which bears the name of a famous White Mountain notch, is a large-fruited, extra-early variety. cause it was thought that it might have vahie as an ornamental fruit- producing plant for Christmas deco- ration, competing with the Jerusalem Cherry. When it is planted in the field, Tiny Tim makes a plant 12 to 24 inches across and bears quantities of cherry-sized, red fruits which may be used whole for salad purposes, if de- sired. The plants are small and the crown set is heavy. If they are raised com- mercially, they should be spaced two feet apart in a row with three feet between the rows. In common with other early, determinate sorts, Dix- ville responds to a high level of soil fertility. In 1949, this variety showed much less sun-scald on the fruit than long-vined, early varieties such as Earliana and Bonnie Best. DIXVILLE Dixville is the latest member of the early tomato family. Of a de- terminate plant type similar to Chat- ham, it reaches maturity slightly earlier. The fruits which are flat in shape are about twice the size of Chatham. Its ancestry goes back to the same general sources as Chatham crossed with a very early, determi- nate, small-fruited tomato known as BV5. Dixville was produced in response to a need in northern New Hamp- shire for a large-fruited variety which would still ripen a satisfactory crop. It may be ripened satisfactorily in southern New Hampshire from seeds sown directly in the field. HIGH C High C is the first-named produc- tion from ten years' breeding work which began with a cross made in 1938 between Michigan State forcing tomato and Peruvian wild tomato, P. I. 126946. The Peruvian tomato (Ly coper sicon peruvianum) is dis- tinguished by having extremely small, greenish-white fruits, each about one inch in diameter, which are sweet when ripe. These tiny fruits are not marketable. Their out- standing characteristic is their vita- min C content which is about four times as great as that of common to- matoes. Only one seed out of several hund- red fruits set was secured from the B D D, the tomato on the right, is the small, white Peruvian which has an extremely high vitamin content. C, to the left, is the large-fruited Michigan State Forcing, a good- quality variety but low in vitamins. B is the first cross between D and C. A is a selection from the second generation. cross. But a considerable amount of seed was saved from the plant that came from that one seed, and a large generation was grown. From this the largest fruited plants and those hav- ing the highest vitamin C content were selected. The best plants among them were propagated by soft wood cuttings and back-crossed to named varieties. Redskin gave the best re- sults in this back cross. From this population some plants with fairly good-sized fruits (50 grams) and with a vitamin C content averaging 55 mg. per 100 grams were selected. The fruit still was not satisfactory in size; so selections which had both the highest vitamin content and largest fruits in this group were crossed again to New Hampshire Victor. In 1947, a puri- fied selection from this population was named High C. The High C tomato, a determinate variety, is slightly earlier than New Hampshire Victor. It is also smaller (80 to 100 grams) which means about five fruits per pound. The fruits are round, red, and very firm. At the University of New Hampshire the vitamin content runs from 35 to 40 mg. per 100 grams fresh weight the average growing season. m Roughly, this is double that of stand- ard varieties of tomatoes such as New Hampshire Victor and Mar- globe. High C is extremely productive, but this high productivity is accom- panied by susceptibility to early blight which may defoliate the plant before all the fruit is ripe, partic- ularly in long growing seasons. High C probably has its greatest value at the northern limits of tomato pro- duction. 8 u >. This is the new tomato developed at the University of New Hampshire. Note the characteristic, prolific plant. The smooth fruits of High C (see lower picture) are of medium size and have double the ascorbic acid content of common tomatoes. CONTINUED WORK WITH HIGH-VITAMIN C TOMATOES A selected indeterminate plant which has somewhat larger fruits than High C and is a little later in ripening had an average vitamin C content of 54 mg. in 1947. This se- lection, known at present as Neiv Hampshire No. 50, was distributed for test in 1949. In Massachusetts, this variety analyzed from 37 to 68 mg. and, at the University of New Hampshire from 51 to 65 mg. Samples grown at the North Dakota Agricultural College analyzed as high as 69 mg. A third series of backcrosses have also been made, using a large-fruited early variety, which was distributed as K-14, from the Campbell Soup Company. From these backcrosses still larger fruited types have been selected. Their gen- eral characteristics are that the fruits are round or oblong rather than ob- late, are very firm, and are of good size. Other backcrosses were made with Long Red. These are worthy of test as hybrid varieties in themselves with a 30 to 40 mg. vitamin C range. Selections in the second generations from this cross have now been made. From this series of experiments in raising the vitamin C content, it has been possible to produce tomatoes of marketable size with much of the vi- tamin content of the small, wild Peruvian tomatoes. While some of these varieties may not, in them- selves, become important in large commercial tomato-raising sections, they provide a basis for the develop- ment of canning varieties of greater food value. Thus, the vitamin C con- tent of commercial canned tomatoes might easily be doubled, making to- matoes equal to oranges as a source of vitamin C. MELONS WHITE MOUNTAIN WATERMELON The small, nearly round White Mountain watermelon received its name from the fact that the variety has matured its fruit north of the White Mountains where the growing season is only 100 rather cool days. Some of the Japanese watermelons have interesting characteristics and the Favorite Honey, a small, yellow- fleshed variety which is oval in shape, has a thin rind, and is excel- lent in quality, is one of the most attractive of them. When it was thought desirable to produce a simi- lar variety with red flesh instead of yellow. Favorite Honey was crossed with Dakota Sweet, a red-fleshed variety selected from seed introduced from Russia. The variety which re- sulted has red flesh, an overabun- dance of brown seeds, and a thin rind. It is very high in quality, and, under favorable conditions, it may mature in 65 days from seed. The small-sized, green-striped mel- ons weigh from two to four pounds each, resembling cantaloupes in this respect. They fit well between the shelves of a house refrigerator. As is done with small muskmelons, they are often served one-half a melon to a person. N. H. MIDGET WATERMELON In producing the New Hampshire Midget watermelon a return was made to some of the earlier breeding stocks from which the White Moun- tain watermelon was developed. New selections with a smaller amount of seeds, (and those black in color) but which still maintained the high quali- ty and small size of the White Moun- tain variety were made. In 1947, after several self-pollinated green- house generations, a variety with a thin, light-green mottled rind was in- troduced under the name of New Hampshire Midget. During the season of its introduc- tion, 200 ripe melons were produced on an 88-foot row. The first one ripened in 65 days from the time of sowing of the seeds. It is believed that this variety will have value in northern areas as a roadside market item, as well as for home use. Like cantaloupes, the size of the melons adapts them for shipment in crates. It is very easy to determine the ripeness of New Hampshire Midget watermelons. When the rind is pressed by the thumb, the rind of a green melon is "springy", but when the melon is ripe, the rind is hard and crisp. COLEBROOK WATERMELON This variety, known in the Orient under the name Shingyamato, was collected in Korea by E. M. Meader 10 The New Hampshire Mid- get Watermelon is very prolific. Note the shape and size which is partic- ularly evident in those shown in the apple box in lower picture. who sent seeds to the University of New Hampshire in 1947. These seeds when planted at Colebrook in northern New Hampshire, ripened a satisfactory crop. As no other varie- ty was grown on the plots, all seed was saved and increased in 1948 for introduction purposes. Colebrook watermelons are round in shape and average about ten pounds each in weight, which is somewhat larger than New Hamp- shire Midget. They have fairly thick, striped rinds, bright red flesh, small brown seeds, and are high in quality. Some specimens are inclined to have too many seeds, but this character- istic is being corrected by the selec- tion of the more desirable fruits. This variety resembles Merrimack Sweetheart and Yankee Queen to a considerable extent and may well have descended from the same Ori- ental parent. GRANITE STATE MUSKMELON Under New Hampshire conditions, muskmelons often fail to ripen before frost and frequently those that ripen produce fruits of poor quality. The Granite State muskmelon was de- veloped to provide a melon of good quality. It came from a cross be- tween a Michigan Experiment Sta- tion selection of Honey Rock crossed with a selection from a muskmelon 11 grown by the Mennonite farmers of southern Manitoba, Canada. The object of the experiment was to combine the quality of Honey Rock with the earliness of the Men- nonite variety. Selection and self- pollination for a period of six years finally resulted in the Granite State muskmelon, which was introduced in 1946. The melons are of medium-size with firm, well-netted rinds and thick, bright-orange flesh. The fruit is produced in abundance and in Durham where ordinary varieties are usually flat in taste, the quality of Granite State melons has been ex- cellent. The leaves of this variety are not as quickly destroyed by mil- dew as most others produced in this area. OTHER MUSKMELON BREEDING When the plants are small, ordi- nary muskmelons produce a great number of male blossoms; female blossoms are produced and fruit is set only after they have reached a considerable size. An introduction from India by the Office of Foreign Seed Plant Introduction (Washing- ton, D.C.) which came to us under the designation 236-B has all its flowers perfect, that is, they contain both pistals and stamens. When this variety was received, it was thought that it might be possi- ble to combine its perfect flowering habit (which results in an earlier set of fruit) and the high quality of some of our named American varie- ties in a single plant. Crosses were made between it and Granite State, and perfect-flowered selections were made in the second generation grown in the greenhouse. None proved to be entirely satisfactory as a variety to introduce; hence, a sec- ond back-cross was made with Gran- ite State and again selections were made for high quality and perfect flowering. While no introductions have been made to date, a consider- able number of selections have been made with thick, orange-fleshed, oval fruits, rather small in size, but high in quality and very early in matur- ing. Undoubtedly, a variety will be introduced from these in the near future, but some further selection and purification is required before this is accomplished. In the spring of 1948 crosses were made between Granite State and the Korean Siveet melon, introduced by E. M. Meader. The Fj was grown in the field in 1948. It was perfectly A truckload of Colebrook watermelons. 12 The Granite State Musk- melon, developed to pro- vide a melon of good qual- ity for New Hampshire growing conditions, is very prolific. (See picture above.) The fruit is of medium size with well- netted rinds and thick bright-orange fiesh. Note melons in lower picture. The original perfect- flowered muskmelon which produced sour, white- fleshed, soft fruits. 13 A high-quality, standard muskmelon on the left; the original, perfect-flowered melon on the right ; in the middle the first cross between these plants. This is the first step in producing a new variety. '^•**. ^ 1 ^- ^ ">a#^' A muskmelon plant fruiting in the greenhouse. Plants are trained to a string so as to make more economical use of the greenhouse space. fertile. A large F2 population was grown in the field in 1949 with the hope that the unusual earliness of the sweet melon might be combined with the size and thickness of flesh of Granite State. Very early selec- tions of high quality were made, some of which resemble Honey Dew melon in flavor and color. SQUASHES BUSH BUTTERCUP SQUASH Cucurbita Maxima, to which our true squashes belong, contains no true bush varieties. Commercial varieties grow long vines which, after producing many male blossoms at the base, finally develop pistallate blossoms several feet from the crown. Thus, the ordinary squash requires a large amount of space in the garden and is comparatively late. A variety known as Zapolita, and collected by the Office of Foreign Seed Plant Introduction, is a so- called tree squash and comes the nearest to being a bush squash within 14 the Maxima species. This variety, superficially resembles Buttercup, but is poor in quality. Early in the season Zapolita behaves as a bush squash. It makes a large round plant and sets several fruits at the crown. Later the vine may grow to considerable length if the season is long. Setting fruit at the crown is a desirable characteristic. Therefore, a cross was made between Zapolita and Buttercup and from it selections were made for quality and for plants that set fruits close to the crown. One of them, now known as the Bush Buttercup variety, produces fruits which closely resemble Buttercup in external and internal characteristics and also approach it in quality. Be- cause it sets fruits close to the crown. Bush Buttercup matures in a fairly satisfactory manner in northern New Hampshire and selected seed stock has been raised for the past three years in Coos County, north of the White Mountains. BABY BLUE The Bush Buttercup squash was crossed wih Blue Hubbard and se- lections were made for small, blue- skin, orange-fleshed Hubbard-shaped fruits. By cooking individual pieces of them and selecting seed from those of the best quality, progress has been made toward the develop- ment of a near bush type, which is an easily distinguished variety of squash. This is an advantage over Bush Buttercup. In the development of this variety, it has been found possible to select plants in the field early in the fall before final growth ceases and to make cuttings from the tips of the plants. The cuttings may be rooted Photo by P. E. Genereaux Bush Butternut squash. Note the turban-shaped fruits set close to the center of plant. 15 Baby Blue, a nearly bush type of small Blue Hubbard. gener- in sand and a self-pollinated ation may be matured in the green house before mid-winter, a technique which eliminates the necessity for hand pollination of great numbers of squash plants in the field. Baby Blue averages three to four pounds, a convenient weight for use by the average modern small family. It is attractive, has a thin hard shell, bright-orange, dry flesh, and keeps well. Baby Blue is susceptible to borers and black squash bugs, as are all Maxima varieties, so it will prob- ably be most appreciated in northern squash-growing regions where these pests are not a serious problem. The large, thick-walled Merrimack Wonder pep- per is early, very produc- tive, and of iiigli quality. :\1»---H<« jj|.i-vi>vi'i'^»'vi'i''nail''H'>'yiH>^V''*'>'Y**H %* i<. K*?- The Mayflower pea — a dwarf — is an extremely early variety and is very productive. The wrinkled seeds are of high quality. 17 New Hampshire Hybrid Eggplant, the standard of earlies. EGGPLANT NEW HAMPSHIRE EGGPLANT One of the first horticultural plant- breedhig projects at the New Hamp- shire Agricultural Experiment Sta- tion was with the eggplant. The variety called the Neiv Hampshire Hybrid was developed by J. R. Hep- ler from a cross between Extra Early Dwarf Purple and Black Beauty. Selections were made from this cross for earliness, large, dark- colored fruits, and productiveness under the cool conditions of New Hampshire. The New Hampshire Hybrid eggplant is now widely grown as the earliest eggplant of commercial quality. The present tendency is to call it simply New Hampshire, because it is a true breeding variety and not a hybrid sort, as that term is now used in the seed trade. POPCORN POPINJAY POPCORN Popcorn breeding work at the University of New Hampshire start- ed with the crossing of Pinky, a North Dakota-produced, pink-ker- neled. high popping quality popcorn, and Neiv Hampshire Pearl, a New England round-seeded, extra early. Carnival Popcorn, a riot of color. 18 white variety. The first cross be- tween these two varieties produced a beautiful popcorn. The ears had seed colors ranging from black through lavender, purple, and pink to white. Because of this attractive appear- ance, it was decided to purify a variety which, while pure in other characteristics, would retain the var- ied-colored ears. Selections were made on the basis of earliness and high popping quality. These se- lections were selfed and re-combina- tions were made from each of the selected lines until the Popinjay variety resulted. Popinjay is early enough to ma- ture in southern New England. The popping quality is good and the ears are attractive enough to be salable in the form of braided traces at road- side stands. The product is attrac- tive to the tourist trade and at the same time useful for food when its value as an ornament has passed. CARNIVAL POPCORN The Carnival variety was produced from a cross between Popinjay and Golden Tom Thumb. The object of the cross was to introduce into a new variety the greater earliness of Golden Tom Thumb and its yellow endosperm color. Again selections were made for earliness, for high- popping quality, for productiveness, and for attractive appearance. In comparison with Popinjay, the yel- low endosperm found in some of the kernels underlying the aleurone color of Popinjay add a liveliness and a new variety of shades. Carni- val is, therefore, more attractive in appearance than Popinjay, and has added earliness similar to Golden Tom Thumb. Carnival was named in the autumn of 1948. BEANS BRILLIANT HORTICULTURAL BEAN The Horticultural Shell bean is an important crop in New England. The market prefers bright-colored, seeds. However, the varieties com- mercially grown in the area are of two kinds. The first has bright- colored seeds but poorly-colored or white pods as represented by the Gage, one of several local strains of the horticultural beans not available in the seed trade. Other varieties have light-colored seeds and bright- colored pods as represented by the French Horticultural bean. A cross was made between Gage and French with the objective of combining the bright-colored pods of French H orticultural with the bright- colored seed of Gage. In this case, the first generation hybrid gave much of the appearance desired be- cause the red color of the pod and the red color of the seeds are both dominant characteristics. However, when this seed was planted, segrega- tion took place; practically all of which resulted in a return to the original combinations. Apparently there is much linkage between pod color and seed color. But, among these selections, a few plants gave the desired combination in crossovers which were purified. The Brilliant variety came from one of them. It has bright-colored seeds, bright-colored pods of fairly good length, is semi-trailing, and is very productive under good growing conditions. The greatest difficulty to date has been to secure an ade- quate supply of seed. The unripen- ed pods bring a premium on the market, so much so that the growers would have to get ridiculously high prices for the seed in order to make it pay for them to mature the crop. 19 FLASH HORTICULTURAL BEAN The Flash Horticultural bean re- sulted from the same cross from which Brilliant came. Flash was se- lected and purified as a true bush type. It is somewhat earlier than Brilliant. Both earliness and bush habit are desirable characteristics, especially for some areas of New Hampshire. Flash is equally attrac- tive and in some localities is more productive than Brilliant. When the soil conditions are not good, unde- sirably short pods are sometimes pro- duced. OTHER HORTICULTURAL BEAN BREEDING In some extensive variety and strain testing, two unusually good horticultural beans were noted. One was a dwarf horticultural bean which is extremely early, has very long, bright-colored pods, but with light- color; the seeds are very large but marked with an unattractive purple. Breeding work with horticultural beans has been continued through the crossing of these Littleton and Pittsfield beans with Flash. Select- tions have been made for bush plants, earliness, long pods, bright- colored seeds, large size, and good production. Some of these selections appear to be much superior to either Flash or Brilliant and may shortly be introduced. These strains will al- so be sent to bean-producing areas before final selections are chosen so that it will be possible to get an ade- quate production of desirable seed. Such a seed supply seems to be a requisite in the successful introduc- tion of good horticultural bean varie- ties. WHITE MOUNTAIN BUSH LIMA BEAN In some seasons, lima beans do well in southern New Hampshire; in other years they fail either to pro- duce pods or to mature them before frost. Failure to germinate, if cool weather comes after planting, is a common fault of lima beans. The United States Department of Agriculture at Beltsville, Maryland, has been doing lima-bean breeding for many years with the objective of getting varieties adapted to hot sum- mer weather. Selections were made there that would stand such condi- tions. Therefore, it was thought that the beans which they discarded at Beltsville might have the ability to withstand cool weather. A num- ber of such discarded lines were se- cured by W. D. Holley from Dr. Roy Magruder and planted here. Most of them proved to be entirely unadapted to local conditions, but germinated under our comparatively unfavorable conditions. Selections made from them were self pollinated in the greenhouse and planted again in the field the following year. In 1946. the soil was unusually cold at planting time, and as a re- sult, in a one-acre plot of lima beans only eight plants grew and matured a crop. These plants, as the fore- runners of new lines, were increased in the greenhouse during the winter of 1946 and the spring of 1947 and planted in the field in 1947 beside a test planting of 20 choice strains from the United States Department of Agriculture and some commercial varieties. Many of the imported strains and varieties failed to germinate at all in our cold soil. However, three of the New Hampshire lines matured a good crop. The one designated as A'o. 51 was outstanding in pod and seed size, production, and early ma- turity. Seed from this selection was saved and again planted in the field where it matured a large crop in 1948. Its production was equal to the best of the small-seeded varieties. Because of its large pods and large seeds, its bush habit, and its ability 20 The high-colored pods and seeds of Flash Horticult- ural Beans are brilliantly ^ flashed with red. to produce a crop under northern, cool climate conditions, this variety was named White Mountain Bush in the autumn of 1948. Seed stock is at present available only in trial quantities. It is introduced as a market-garden and home-garden variety for northern gardeners. Un- satisfactory yields were reported from Beltsville in 1948, but the stock did well in Pennsyvlania and Michi- gan, indicating that it may not be adapted to warmer sections. COWEY RED LIMA BEAN In 1943, a sample of lima beans which he said was a certain cropper in his garden was received from S. D. Cowey of York Beach, Maine. This sample contained seeds of vari- ous colors ranging from almost black to red and pink, some solid colored and some mottled beans. They were planted in the University greenhouse and were found to be similar to each other so far as plant characteristics were concerned. Individual plant se- lections were made and the seeds planted in the field in 1944. From these individual plants, one of which had an attractive, red seed was se- lected. When purified, it was given the name of Coivey Red Lima. The Cowey Red Lima is a bush variety of about the same season as the Henderson Bush. The seed is somewhat larger as are the pods. It is very prolific. When planted in the garden in the spring, this bean seems to have the ability to germi- nate under colder conditions than do most other lima beans. Probably its principal value is as breeding ma- terial. It has been used in crosses both at the University of New Hamp- shire and at Beltsville, in an attempt to develop more cold-resistant varie- ties. For immediate practical pur- poses, its value lies in the novelty field. At exhibitions where these beans were shown, visitors have been much attracted to them and have requested seed. TINY GREEN SNAP BEAN The Tiny Green bean was pro- duced as a result of a remark of a commercial canner who said that his aim was to can whole beans, though he usually canned cut ones because the pods became too large for whole canning. It was then decided to 21 produce a variety in which the ma- ture pod would be of a size to can whole. As white seed beans give a clearer juice than colored beans in a canned product the aim was to work for a variety with white seeds. Harm Drewes of the Ferry-Morse Seed Company procured from Holland seed of a variety called Perfect Stringless to be used as breeding stock. This variety was green, and had white seed, and was small podded; but despite its name it was anything but stringless. It was crossed with Refugee. After several years of intensive selfing and selec- tion in the field and in the green- house, a variety resulted which has white seeds; the mature pods, which are about four inches long, are round, green, and stringless. This bean, which seedsmen list as Tiny Green, makes an excellent canned product. OTHER SNAP BEAN BREEDING In 1947 work began on the de- velopment of a green snap bean which would have good color, would be a good producer, would be easy to harvest, and possibly might be har- vested by mechanical means. Crosses were made between several promis- ing varieties, including Tiny Green, Streamliner, Bountiful, Tendergreen, Refugee, and an unnamed variety from Australia. One generation was raised in the greenhouse and a sec- ond in the field in 1948. From this population, 158 plants have been se- lected for continued trials. These have several characteristics in com- mon: they are white-seeded; they are bush varieties; they are green pod- ded. Selections made from them in coming years should result in an im- proved variety as was planned. Among the plants grown in 1948, more than 100 were tested for can- ning by using part of the product of the plant in a miniature jar. One of the observations made from this test was that any plant which had color in the flowers also had colored seed and when processed at 15 pounds steam pressure for an hour (as is customarily done in canning) the seeds turned a dark brown color and gave a darkened appearance to the canned product. If the seeds were white, as indicated by white blos- soms, discoloration of the product did not result. White flowers, white seed, and good color in the canned product are associated in our crosses. More observations will be made on this point in the future. Color in the stems, when the plants emerge from the soil, has also indicated colored seed on the resulting plants. An ex- ception has been noted in a white- seeded green snap bean obtained from Dr. R. A. Emerson of Cornell. This variety has colored flowers. It makes a well-colored, green canned product, as has been noted with other white seed beans. An ordinary variety of snap beans (left) compared witii Tiny Green in the usable stage (right). 22 RUNNER BEAN BREEDING The runner bean, Phaseolus multi- flora, is grown to a considerable ex- tent in northern New Hampshire, where it is known as "lima bean" or "frost proof." There are red-and- white-blossomed varieties and pur- ple-mottled and white-seeded varie- ties. Colored seed and red flowers are associated as are white seed and white flowers. There are both climb- ing and bush types. Selections for the white bush type have been made. It has become evident that cross- pollination in the field is very fre- quent in this species, so much so that it has interfered considerably with the breeding program. Plants raised in the greenhouse in the winter when the days are short and the temperature is held fairly high have given practically no seed. Crosses have been made between the white selections of this species and common beans, neither of which has red blossoms. The Fj resulting has a flower nearly as bright red as the scarlet type of the runner bean. It is exactly the same color as is secured when the red-flowered run- ners are used in the cross. While the first generation plants are most- ly infertile, some seed has been se- cured. Selections through the F4 generation from this interspecific cross, which carry some of the characteristics of both parents and are highly fertile, have been made. No named varieties have resulted as yet. Further work is being done. The objectives are better flavored snap beans in which the cotyledons are not pushed above ground when the seed germinates. This is a characteristic of multiflora. CABBAGE and CHINESE CABBAGE Crosses have been made between the various members of the cabbage family including cabbage, kohlrabi, kale, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, and broccoli. No varieties have re- sulted from such hybridization, but their characteristics have been re- corded. All are fertile, indicating their close botanical relationship. Red cabbage has also been success- fully crossed with Wong Bok Chinese cabbage. The resulting lone plant with Wong Bok as the female parent is large, leafy, and red-veined. The plant is nearly (perhaps completely) sterile. CARROTS Hutchinson is the carrot variety mostly commonly grown for market purposes in New England. Unfortu- nately, the Hutchinson variety, while productive and attractive, is com- paratively low in quality. Morse's Bunching was found to have more desirable characteristics than any other variety tested at the New Hampshire Agricultural Experiment Station. Crosses have been made be- tween Hutchinson and Morse's Bunching with the idea of combin- ing the good features of both. The first generation of this cross was raised in the greenhouse; seed was saved and the second generation was raised in the field in 1948. Desir- able selections have been made for continued work. 23