The Northeaster known as the Great Blizzard of 1888 traveled up the East Coast and dropped over 40 inches of snow in New York. About 2000 years earlier, a whirlwind of bean diversity made its way up from much farther south, South America. One bean cluster, a cell of vining, flat-podded types, blew all the way into Italy, later returning to New York with immigrants. Northeaster, a tender, succulent Romano type pole bean, came out of this gene pool, its meltingly soft texture as inviting as a fresh bank of snow. Early to mature, Northeaster will produce heaps of delectable pods. If you're a seed saver, let the pods dry on the vines and they will precipitate mounds of white beans that don't require gloves and a shovel.