TOMATOES. 



The forcing of tomatoes, primarily as an aid in student instruction 

 and incidentally as a test of varieties, is carried on each year at the 

 Cornell Experiment Station greenhouses. The plants are set so that 

 the crop is harvested between the holiday season and Easter week. 

 Among the twelve or more varieties tested within the past four years, 

 several desirable kinds have been found which are well adapted for 

 forcing. 



The characteristics of a good forcing variety are: slow, stocky 

 growth; healthy, but not heavy, foliage; a habit of forming the first 

 cluster of buds near the base of the plant. Each flower should have 

 a protruding stigma, thus being able to set fruit with a minimum 

 amount of pollen ; and it should bear fruit of medium size and uniform 

 shape. The size and shape are of the utmost importance. 



Winter tomatoes as a vegetable are high-priced, but hardly rank 

 as a luxury, selling as they do from twenty to forty cents a pound. 

 As a single fruit is usually served to each guest, if the fruits are large, 

 the cost is considerably increased; and if irregular, the appearance 

 of the dish would be unattractive.- The consumer orders a definite 

 number of fruits rather than a specific weight; and in supplying a 

 critical market, it is necessary to have the tomatoes of moderate size 

 and as nearly uniform as possible. 



Remarks on Varieties — In many respects, the English types of 

 tomatoes have proved to be superior for forcing purposes to those 

 of American origin. They set fruit more readily in dark weather; 

 they grow the fruit in clusters, ripening the full cluster within a short 

 period, and continue in growth considerably longer than American 

 types. However, there are a few of the latter varieties that have 

 proved highly satisfactory as forcing varieties. Lorillard, one of the 

 first of the American varieties to be forced for midwinter crops, is 

 still as extensively grown as any other variety; and when the true 

 variety is obtained, it is a fine forcing tomato. Combination (Amer- 

 ican), a variety that came into prominence about six. years ago, has 

 given good satisfaction. Mayflower, but for the habit of ripening 

 fruits slowly and separately, would fill all requirements. Pepper 

 (American), a variety with more of the general characteristics of the 

 English tomato than of the American type, has proved an excellent 

 late winter and early spring variety. Fruit of this variety is oblong 

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