Alderman (Tall Telephone) Pea

Alderman 75 days — A very old English variety, 'Alderman', also known as 'Tall Telephone', is a main crop garden pea. It does require support as it will climb to about six feet in height. The pods are large (up to four inches), maturing five to nine peas each. Very productive and good for fresh eating or freezing. The history and pedigree of 'Alderman' is a bit convoluted. This is not uncommon when researching very old varieties but here are the facts that we do know.  In 1878, Carter's of London, England released a variety called 'Telephone' that was a sport of the older variety, 'Telegraph'. There was a lot of variability in 'Telephone's' genetics. At the time that it was introduced into the United States, light-colored pods were popular. But as public preferences changed in favor of darker pods, growers started selecting seed stock from the darker-podded variants of 'Telephone'.Then in 1892, Thomas Laxton of Bedford, England released 'Alderman'. It possesses many of the same chara