-8 3 - 



commercial plantations so vigorous and relatively productive as 

 our own common plantations have been. If similar treatment 

 were applied, even in part, to the tomato fields which supply the 

 canneries, greatly increased yields would be sure to follow. The 

 treatment is simply this : careful selection and breeding of stock 

 seed from year to year ; early sowing ; frequent or occasional 

 transplanting, producing stock}- plants ; rich soil, well prepared 

 and well tilled. If the grower has facilities for forcing the plants 

 rapidly, the first half or the middle of March is a proper time for 

 seed sowing in this latitude. 



8. Impressions of varieties. Our list of varieties was greatly re- 

 duced this year. We found that we could not profitably carry more 

 than a dozen or fifteen of the old varities, even for experimental pur- 

 poses. About forty sorts altogether, were grown. Many were 

 local varieties sent in for trial, and all the new kinds offered by 

 the trade were obtained. It is not our purpose to pronounce 

 definitely upon the merits of the new tomatoes which appear from 

 year to year. Our tomato studies have a deeper purpose, which 

 is not yet completed and has not been reported. In the mean- 

 time, various comparatively incidental matters of treatment and 

 varieties may, perhaps, be worthy of record. 



We are still confirmed in our belief that varieties of tomatoes 

 are unstable and that they soon "run out." The strongest 

 proof of this fact, perhaps, is the difficulty of maintaining any 

 variety true to its type under good culture and careful selection. 

 The variety under this treatment is very apt to "improve,' or 

 depart from its original character. An apt illustration of this 

 has come to our experience this year in the Trophy. In our last 

 year's report we observed that this standard variety is running 

 out and that it is difficult to procure typical stock of it. A care- 

 ful Long Island gardener opposed the statement and cited the 

 fact that he had kept the Trophy (though somewhat improved) 

 all these years by careful treatment. He furnished us seeds, but 

 we secured few fruits which could be called the Trophy as that 

 variety was known in its early days. Most of the fruits were 

 smooth and even, medium in size and much flattened, and they 

 were better, in our judgment, than the true Trophy was. It is a 

 common but erroneous notion that "running out" necessarily 

 means deterioration. 



