Towle

Pole bean used as a fresh shelling or dry bean. Seeds plump, oval with a heavy red-purple mottling over a tan base color. Strong beany, slightly smoky flavor. Green pods develop light red stripes at maturity. Pods 6-7" long, 0.6" wide; slightly curved; contain 4-5 seeds. Pink flowers. Medium-low productivity in 2016 at Heritage Farm. Early maturing. Donated to SSE in 1981 by bean collector John Withee of Lynnfield, Massachusetts and the Wanigan Associates. Withee received the variety circa 1970 from SSE member Ernest Dana (NH DA E). This variety was commercially offered by the Billy Hepler Seed Company in 1952 and 1954-1962 where it was described as an "heirloom pole bean-shell bean from Hillsborough, NH." It was originally selected by a Mr. Towle who gave a sample of his bean to William Hepler's father, Professor JR Hepler, in 1949. SSE Accession # 100966