Until 1894, most varieties of snap beans were stringy and only fair in quality.  In 1894, the first successful stringless beans were introduced as Burpee Stringless Green Pod.  Now all varieties commercially sold are stringless.

Principal varieties of green snap beans for the fresh market are Contender, Resistant Asgrow Valentine, Tendergreen, Topcrop, Wade, Bountiful and Burpee, and Landreth Stringless Greenpod