2019 Little Easy Bean Network - Come And Reawaken The Thrill Of Discovery

[Blue-Jay]

A little history on the Wesely Railroad Spike. I got the bean from a Kris Hubbard who I meet at the Bill Best Sustainable Mountian Agriculture Seed Swap on the first Saturday of October in 2018 in Livingston, Tennessee. The bean came from a female friend of Kris's by the name of Jimmie Ann Fosbrink. Kris lives in Armetus, Kentucky in the Appalachian Mountains, and is a registered member of the Cherokee nation. The bean was being grown by Jimmie Ann's great uncle Wesley Smith who gave haircuts in his basement for $2.00 and also worked for the railroad. In the early 1940's Wesley Smith shared seeds with Jimmie Ann Fosbrink's (I assume that was Jimmie Ann's married name) mother Beatrice (Feltner) Smally who manned the family farm. Jimmie Ann had been the keeper of the bean since the passing of her mother. Jimmie Ann Fosbrink passed away in 2006. Since then Kris Hubbard has been the keeper of the bean. Kris has shared the bean with a few people at that October seed swap including me.

Now anyone who wants to keep and grow the bean can, that gets seed through me or who ever gets it from growers who I've passed it to that pass it to their friends and aquaintenances.

 

[flowerbug]

very busy on other things for a while, but trying to pick through what is now left of the beans to see what is useable even after being frosted. one garden each day for the next three days to check and then they can be put up for the winter. not sure there will be much to find, but sometimes i can get a few more beans from plants that weren't quite done yet, but at least far enough along that the frosts didn't destroy the beans that were mostly dried. the Mombo i had hoped would survive a few light frosts, but alas the frosts we had were heavy enough to just take them right out. Yed, Lemon Slice, Sunset, Red Pere, Grey Pink Pinto and several others (cross breeds unique to me that i'm working on) all came through with some seeds to continue working with.

a few of the fence beans didn't really like being blown around (and off the fence) as much as they were and so did not give me many or any seeds that i've found so far. i've left most of those alone until the last because a few were still trying to get some pods on them - there might be a few beans hidden in there. they're not in the way of anything for the moment either.

the Flossie Powell Lima beans i do have a lot of seeds drying down now - i'd wondered if it was ever going to have a chance of finishing many seeds but it really filled out pods the last few weeks before the hard frosts finally took it out and gave a decent crop, but it really pushes the limit of my season here. i'm not sure i'll keep growing it since there are other lima beans that will be more productive sooner and give several pickings before frosts normally come along.

 

[Decoy1]

I’m interested in the Wesley Railroad Spike. In the photos posted by Lori B, the pods and the dried beans look very like a bean I had from Bohnen-Atlas - Tennessee Wonder. I think you have this one too, Russ. Am I right in thinking they’re almost identical?

 

[Lori B]

I’m interested in the Wesley Railroad Spike. In the photos posted by Lori B, the pods and the dried beans look very like a bean I had from Bohnen-Atlas - Tennessee Wonder. I think you have this one too, Russ. Am I right in thinking they’re almost identical?

I have plenty of these if you would like me to send you some.

 

[Decoy1]

That would be great but I live in UK. Happy to do some swapping if you don’t mind the international postage.

 

[Lori B]

That would be great but I live in UK. Happy to do some swapping if you don’t mind the international postage.

How much does that run?

 

[Blue-Jay]

Decoy1, is one of our network growers. If @Lori B doesn't want to send them. Decoy1 might get them from me next year or after she makes her seed return. She might acquire them as one of her grow out beans. @Decoy1 once Lori B sends back seed return I'll have them to send out again.

The fellow that I got the Wesley Railroad Spike from believes they are probably an indigenous variety of the American indians. He also believes they might be related to Ram's Horn and Hanna Hank beans. I've also come across another bean at the Livingston, Tennesse seed swap that has similar coloring called "Flood". From a West Virginia flood of 1888. Story goes that they were growing in a cornfield and after the 1888 flood seed must have gotten scattered around the field and they grew all over this cornfield. Said to grow as tall as a two story house.

 

[Blue-Jay]

I do not like what the Easy Garden did to everyone's avitars. I can't seem to fit mine into the circle they give you. I wonder what gives with this?

 

[Blue-Jay]

I changed the image to my Blue Jay beans that I use on my website. It still does some clipping of the images.

 

[Decoy1]

Decoy1, is one of our network growers. If @Lori B doesn't want to send them. Decoy1 might get them from me next year or after she makes her seed return. She might acquire them as one of her grow out beans. @Decoy1 once Lori B sends back seed return I'll have them to send out again.

The fellow that I got the Wesley Railroad Spike from believes they are probably an indigenous variety of the American indians. He also believes they might be related to Ram's Horn and Hanna Hank beans. I've also come across another bean at the Livingston, Tennesse seed swap that has similar coloring called "Flood". From a West Virginia flood of 1888. Story goes that they were growing in a cornfield and after the 1888 flood seed must have gotten scattered around the field and they grew all over this cornfield. Said to grow as tall as a two story house.

Yes, that would be a good arrangement and more straightforward. Thanks for the suggestion.
Do you have any thoughts about whether Tennessee Wonder might be related to Wesley Railroad Spike?