230 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



over 300 per cent., while the other shows an apiKirent loss of 150 per cent, 

 from selecting the first fruits for seed. 



The experiment was repeated this year and greater care was taken to 

 place the angular and smooth sorts on an equal footing. 



Thirty-six varieties were planted, eighteen being of the angular and the 

 remainder of the smooth kinds, using eight plants of each sort. 



The fruits were gathered as they ripened, and of the angular sorts at the 

 first two pickings 1,512 ounces were obtained from the plants that were 

 grown from the first ripe seeds of 1888 and 1,234| from those from the late 

 seeds to ripen. Of the smooth sorts the same gatherings weighed respec- 

 tively 689 ounces and 756|^ ounces. 



The vines were killed by frost when less than a third of the fruit had 

 ripened, and the weight of the ripe fruits up to that time showed 5,946 and 

 5,720 from the angular, and 2,332 and 2,991 ounces from the smooth sorts, 

 the first number in each case being obtained from the plants grown from 

 the first ripe fruits of 1888. 



From the trials of the past two years it would seem there is little to be 

 gained by selecting seed from the first fruits to ripen. It is true that 

 during both years there is on the average a slight apparent gain from such 

 selection of angular sorts, but eight of the eighteen varieties show a loss 

 from such selection, and we can only regard as accidental the fact that in 

 the angular sorts the average shows a gain and in the smooth sorts a loss 

 where such selection is made. 



DOES IT PAY TO START TOMATOES UNDER GLASS ? 



Many persons have stated that fruit can be obtained as quickly from 

 small plants as from those that are large and strong, and some insist that 

 if seed is sown in the ground it will bring fruit as soon as wdien started 

 under glass. 



To test the matter strong plants of three varieties were put out and 

 adjoining them small plants from seed boxes were transplanted, and beyond 

 these seeds of the same varieties were planted in the open ground. All 

 started off w^ell, but when the frost killed the vines no ripe fruits had been 

 obtained from either lot of seedlings, and the fruits on the plants from 

 seed boxes were about half way between those on the strong plants and on 

 the open ground seedlings. 



WIRE TRELLIS FOR TOMATOES. 



For training the tomatoes used in our experiment work a trellis of wire 

 was devised. It consisted of four lines of No. 12 galvanized wire fastened 

 two on each side of the supports. These were made of six-inch fence board 

 driven into the ground so that the upper end was thirty inches high. The 

 wires were fastened on with wire nails, one line being fifteen inches from 

 the ground and the other one foot above this. This gave a space of six 

 inches in which to train the vines, and by tying them occasionly to the wires 

 they were easily kept in place. The vines were thus kept off the ground, 

 the fruits were exposed to the influence of the sun and air, and picking was 

 facilitated. The trellis was quickly and cheaply made and the materials 

 can be used for many years. 



