Hurst Green Shaft pea

[J.V.]

Hi,

Does anybody know who bred or introduced Hurst Green Shaft pea? I like to find this sort of thing out. As far as I can tell it was introduced in 1971, or thereabouts, but no idea who produced it...

regards,

JV

[veggiechicken]

There was a pea called William Hurst in 1920 - maybe connected to that?
http://www.thomasetty.co.uk/seeds/ve..._allotment.pdf

[J.V.]

That's interesting - thanks

[Greenleaves]

Maybe connected to one of the many towns and villages called Hurst Green

[Jungle Jane]

There was an rhs plant trial in 1985 & it says that the greenshaft pea was raised introduced & sent by Hurst Gunson Cooper Taber (1971 to 1983) & also A.L Tozer ltd. Then it looks like S.E Marshall & co are maintaining the seed now named Hurst Greenshaft?
http://apps.rhs.org.uk/planttrials/T...ate%201985.pdf
http://apps.rhs.org.uk/planttrials/T...ate%201998.pdf

[veggiechicken]

Thanks to Jungle Jane, it seems that the Hurst Greenshaft pea was launched by George Beaven in 1971
Industry pays its respects to George Beaven and Joan Beales | Horticulture Week

[J.V.]

Thanks very much for that - looks like that's the answer

[Jungle Jane]

Sounds like a great man,this archive from 1982 might interest you-


.IT HAD TO HAPPEN. Sometime, somewhere, somebody had to apply the unfaltering
memory of the computer to the teasing task of garden planning. The real
surprise is that first in the the field should be Hurst Gunson Cooper Taber,
whose name will probably be totally unfamiliar to most gardeners. This is
because the great Essex seed firm has hitherto preferred to keep discreetly in
the background, confining itself to breeding and wholesale production and
distribution of seeds to be sold through independent retail outlets. True its
cheerful "Hurst Garden Pride" seed packets are familiar enough since they are
sold in a great many shops and garden centres, but I doubt whether many
purchasers have realised precisely who produces them. Experience has taught
them that the name on the packet is a good guarantee of quality and that is
about as far as it has gone. Hurst is quite satisfied to remain in the
background and has no desire to become directly involved with the final
customer.

The veil has now been cast aside, and Hurst is positively asking for mail from
amateurs, not for the purpose of selling seed direct to them but to guide them
in the best use of their gardens or allotments for vegetable growing. To this
end their experts have programmed a computer to answer all relevant questions
with accuracy and spped. All the inquirer has to do is to botain a Hurst Garden
Gro-Plan form from any shop or garden centre selling Garden Pride seeds, fill it
in and post it, with £2, to Hurst Gunson Cooper Taber at Witham in Essex. The
form seeks information about the size and shape of the plot to be used for
vegetables, its aspect, the nature of the soil and the particular vegetable
preferences of each member of the family. This information is then fed into the
computer, which imediately produces an answer complete with plan of the plot
showing where each vegetable is to be grown, how much room it will require, how
many seed packets will be needed and what varieties are recomended. This is
sent to the inquirer, plus a 50p voucher for Garden Pride seeds and a copy of Dr
D. G. Hessayon's excellent book, "Be Your Own Vegetable Doctor".
(It's document 1038)
https://archive.org/stream/ABCNews19...82-01-15-c.txt

[Martin H]

Well done JJ and VC. I had rummage round the web but didn't get anything like this far. Top researching!