Conger

Pole bean. Used by the donor's family as a snap bean, but we found the pods rather tough with fair flavor. The dry beans, however, are quite good with a robust, smoky flavor and plump seeds. Plants are strong climbers. Pods 4.5-5.5" long; 0.7" wide; green; flat; wide; slightly curved. No suture string. Mature pods develop light pink stripes. 4-6 seeds per pod. Seeds tan colored with brown stripes; oval; slightly flattened. Tend to be hard seeded. Pink flowers. Medium-low productivity when grown in 2016 at Heritage Farm. Mid-season maturing. Donated to SSE in 1996 by Ivan & Dorothy Conger who began growing this variety in the early 1980s. They received it from Conger cousins living in California. The cousins indicated that the family took the beans by covered wagon from Iowa to Oregon over 100 years earlier. Used by the family as snap bean. SSE Accession # 104479