Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1914-02-10
Bean breeding Full Of Promise.

Among the lines Of work being car.
ried on at Highmoor Farm by tho Maine
station is one involving q study of beans.
ThUlmportauce of such work to the
agriculture of Maine Ia becoming greater
each year, for farmers having lands
characterized by warm, early soil types
finds this good crop to cultivate in a
rotation system. Requiring careful cul
tivation and hsrboring nitrogen-gather-
ing bacteria in the nodules borne on i's
roots, the bean plant Is admirably adapt
ed to the improvement of soils. Beans
are legumes belonging to the same gen.
eral family Of ciOvers. The bean
plant collects nitrogen from the air.
Further, the production OF superior
strains of beans for seed is specialized
business which is playing each year q
moro important part in farm manage
ment. One grower of beans for seed
stock stated short time ago that he
was getting for seed beans double the
price ordinarily paid for general stock.
The work of the station with beaus not
only entails study of the Inheritance
of yield, size, color and shape of the
dried beans, height Of plant aud habit Of
growth, but, also includes the fixstion
of certain types carrying the ability to
produce high yields OF seed. In pursu-
ance of such aims many individual
plants representing widely different
types have been selected from the gener-
al field crops grown at Highmoor during
the past two years. These plants have
been propagated within a screened en-
closure in order to insure self pollina-
tiUn.
Growing beans under screens is neces-
sary to prevent humble bees working in
tbs blossoms aud possibly bringing about
cross-fertilization. Hence growers OF
seed beans will realize that it is advisa-
BILE to cultivate only one variety of beans
at q time. II more than one variety is
grown there is bound to result mixture
of types through the agency Of humble
bees in crossing. While the stations
work with beans has not progressed far
enough to enable one to draw many con-
clusions, some promising types have
been separated which are breeding true.
Among these types is one strain which
produced white beans. In 1911 out of .
variety of beans which each year devel'
oped many types was selected one plant
charac' erized by long runners, spreading
habit of growth, white blossoms and
many pods enveloping all white beans.
The seed Of this plant has been planted
during the past two years and
each season has produced high yield of
white beans.
Another interesting pure line is one of
the old-fsshioned yellow eye beans. A
plant of this type-short, erect growing,
with white blossoms bearing many pods
and yielding beans white in all parts ex-
cept around the eye, was selected in
1911. This plant also has bred true to
type each season. The old-fashioned
yellow eye bean is familiar to all. How
ever, of the three varieties sold in the
state by dealers for seed, none is pure.
Each will produce many widely varying
types. The fixation of the color pattern
aud shape of bean, and also high yield,
seems to have been accomplished In the
line developed from the one plant just
The color present In the
old fashioned yellow-eye is generally
hue of yellow. However, We have found
this same pattern also carrying only red,
black or brown pigment. In what way
each of these is produced is another in
phase Of work yet to be stud
led.
In addition to these strains Of beans
there are many others that have been
propagsted from single plants. Some
produce black beans, others all yellow,
brown or notified beans. Some of these
may prove to be superior strains for
snap beans If not for marketing as dried
beans. All in all, the bean breeding
work at Highmoor Is developing many
types Of beans, some OF
which promise to be of superior value as
a crop.-Dr. C. d. Woods.