It is not much esteemed as a shelled-bean, either green or ripe. As a string-bean, it is one of the best. Its pods are long, cylindrical, remarkably slender, succulent, and tender. It is also a very prolific variety, and the pods remain for an unusual period without becoming tough or too hard for the table. Recommended for cultivation.
Swiss Crimson.
Scarlet Swiss. Vil.
Plant vigorous, often producing running shoots; flowers pale-purple; pods nearly straight, six inches long, pale-green while young, yellow streaked with brilliant rose-red as they approach maturity, and containing five (rarely six) seeds.
It is comparatively a late variety. If planted as early as the weather will permit, the plants will blossom in seven weeks, the young pods will be ready for use in nine weeks, and the crop will be ready for harvesting in a hundred and five days. Planted and grown in summer weather, it will produce young pods in sixty days, and ripen in thirteen weeks. Plantings for the green seeds may be made to the first of July.
The ripe seeds are clear bright-pink, striped and spotted with deep purplish-red: the pink changes gradually to dull, dark-red, and the variegations to dark-brown. They are kidney-shaped, comparatively straight, somewhat flattened, three-fourths of an inch long, and three-eighths of an inch broad. Thirteen hundred seeds are contained in a quart, and will plant a row two hundred feet in length, or a hundred and fifty hills.
It is hardy and productive, and, as a shelled-bean, of excellent quality, either in its green or ripened state. As a variety for stringing, it is not above medium quality.
Turtle-Soup.
Tampico.
Plant vigorous, producing numerous slender, barren runners two feet or more in length; flowers rich deep-purple; pods five inches long, green and sickle-shaped while young, pale greenish-white stained with purple when more advanced, yellow clouded with purple when ripe, and containing five or six seeds.