2016 Little Easy Bean Network - Gardeners Keeping Heirloom Beans From Extinction

More of the Billingsgate segregations. This is the 2nd segregation (Billingsgate #2) I discovered in 2014 from the original Billingsgate seed found in Mapie in 2013. Grew out this Billingsgate segregation #2 again this year in 2016 and it seems to have the longer seed more like that of the original. Billingsgate #2 also threw off 2 more combinations this year. The first new seed color combination below (Billingsgate #2 - 2016 Segregation #1) seems to have most of it's seed coloring centralized more around the eye. The second new color combination (Billingsgate #2 - 2016 Segregation #2) is a mottled seed purple and tan. I will probably grow the first new seed again below and the second new seed will probably not be grown again. Probably enter the second one on the Network pages of my website, and let someone else have a try at it.


Billingsgate #2


Billingsgate #2 - 2016 Segregation #1


Billingsgate #2 - 2016 Segregation #2

Hi @Ridgerunner,

Your return seed package came in the mail yesterday. They look better in person. What an incredible job you did on them. I love your spread sheet records too. Great stuff. I got to try some of these next year myself. I will try to put some of the pole beans and bush beans that have real low numbers in my home bean nursery too what they do and to get the numbers up. Thank you again for a great grow out.

I'm glad you got them all since I don't have a lot of back-up for most of them. I don't know what caused those low-numbers ones, weak seeds or something else. I'm hoping since they are fresh seeds they will do better next year.

I won't be getting any seed form you next year, I'll concentrate on growing out some of these. I still expect to be sending you something new next year. We'll see how many stabilize and which ones don't.

journey11 said:

I turn 40 next year too. So that I'll remember.

Spring through July we had lots of rain, very consistently, such that I never had to water the garden. August and September were very hot and dry, topping out around 90 most days. That worked out well for ripening most of the bean pods this summer.

We've not had a frost yet and may not get it until early November judging by the current forecast. This was sheer luck for me, as most of my limas are coming in late and were planted a bit late.

@Ridgerunner -- Wow, what a variety you got! My seed samples were small, so I had less going on than you did. Only 2 segregations each on #47 and #48. #49 was only one plant, so no surprises there. Your Karachaganak is quite a handsome bean!

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I also turn 40 next year

Another Billingsgate Segregation that I found in 2013 with a working title for now of Billingsgate #3 in the photo on top. It sort of looks similar to Billingsgate #1 except much lighter in color. A lot of these Billingsgate segregations have that diagonal seperation of color around the center of the seed like Magpie. The second photo is a another segregation that Billingsgate #3 threw off this year. This one is a departure from the pattern as it sort of looks like a small soldier bean.

Billingsgate Segregation #3

Billingsgate Segregation #3 - 2016 Segregation #1

Tricia77 said:

I also turn 40 next year

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You will be very young at 40. I wouldn't mind being that age again. I turn 71 in December. Hope I can do another 20 bean gardens.

Tricia77 said:

I also turn 40 next year

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Well, how about that. I guess we'll try to get through it together!

This first photo is Billingsgate #4 it is also another segregation that Billingsgate threw off in 2014. I had given this segregation a working title of Drops Of Blue although it didn't seem to be so blue as it was before. More like purple or violet. I grew this one again this year and it threw off 5 segregations. Some of the new segregations are developing into a two toned seed coat instead of three.


Billingsgate Segregation #4 - Drops Of Blue


Billingsgate Segregation #4 - 2016 Segregation #1


Billingsgate Segregation #4 - 2016 Segregation #2


Billingsgate Segregation #4 - 2016 Segregation #3


Billingsgate Segregation #4 - 2016 Segregation #4


Billingsgate Segregation #4 - 2016 Segregation #5

@Bluejay77 wow, so many segregations from the beans you grow. I've only had this happen once in all the years I've been growing beans. Here's my one and only.

I've been growing this bean since the 70's early 80's? I'd have to look it up. Back in 2010 I grew a teepee of Mr. Tung's a pole bean brought to Canada well over 100 years ago now. I was given a sample of this bean by the granddaughter of the family who originally grew it.

Mr. Tung and the seed it produces.

In one pod there was one seed that was a different color.

The one different colored seed and the pods it produced when grown. I grew seed from one of these pods the next year and got this....


Shelly and dried seed, I grew a few seeds from this and got this...


Pod with more pink and again a different shaped seed and a different colored seed coat.
I think I have a few of these seeds still kicking around somewhere but doubt if I'll grow it again. I was only growing one other bean that year but the teepee wasn't anywhere near this one so pretty sure it wasn't a cross.

For many years aside from scarlet runners I only grew two varieties of common beans, Mr.
Tung's and an Italian pole bean brought to Vancouver Island from Italy in the early 1900's.
I got my seed for Mr. Tung's from the woman who wrote the below article for the now defunct Island Grower. The Italian pole bean ( Emilia's Italian ) is another story, in fact in was my quest in finding out the history of this particular bean that started my heirloom bean collecting addiction.


Mrs. Mollison has since passed away but being the pack rat that I am I kept this article. Low and behold the daughter of Mrs. Mollison found a few of these beans when going through her mother's things and started inquiring if anyone had a copy of the article she knew her mother had written about them. She found it at the Populuxe Seed Bank, I had sent it to the PSB a year or two before as the information they had on it wasn't quite accurate. (Note to self, no matter what DH says never throw anything away, it might be important some day).
I sent some seed to Remy (Sample Seed Shop) a couple of years ago, she had it listed in here 2016 catalog.

I also got my first Cherokee Trail of Tears beans from an offer in the Island Grower back in the 80's and have been growing these also since then, not every year as I have so many varieties in my stash I haven't grown yet. I try hard not to add to my bean stash but have to admit I'm failing miserably.

It's the history that goes with these family heirlooms that absolutely fascinates me, the so sad story that goes with the Cherokee Trail of Tears is a reminder that we have come a long way since then, we still have a long way to go, but we're getting there.

I'll start another thread about Emilia's Italian, it shows how important it is to some that these heirlooms are kept in circulation, sharing with as many others as you keeps them from going the way of the Dodo bird.

Annette.