New York Agricultural Experiment Station. 247 



will help in forming a correct idea of the size of the plant. These 

 gardeners take off all other shoots and resort to severe pruning 

 of the foliage if necessary, to prevent too rampant growth. Some 

 leaves are removed entirely and others are partly pruned away as 

 shown in the accompanying illustration, Plate III. They hold 

 that the vigorous side shoots, which are allowed to grow in this 

 style of training, have a tendency to check the main or central 

 stem so that no difificulty will be experienced in getting the first 

 clusters of fruit to set within about a foot of the soil. 



During the winters 1895-G and 1896-7 some experiments were 

 made at this Station for the purpose of comparing single-stem 

 with three-stem training. A method of checking the growth 

 which is sometimes used in forcing cucumbers was also tried. It 

 provides for restricting the roots in small pots which are plunged 

 in the soil so that roots may be sent out from the stem above the 

 pot. Plants were grown from the same lots of seed and were 

 carefully selected to get specimens as nearly alike as possible at 

 the start. The soils were very thoroughly mixed and evenly 

 distributed to the plants. In applying fertilizers equal quantities 

 were given to each plant. In short, the aim has been to keep 

 conditions affecting the plants as nearly alike as possible in all 

 points excepting the ones which were to be compared. 



We will now consider the tests of single-stem as compared 

 with three-stem training, especially for forcing in winter. 



SINGLE-STEM vs. THREE-STEM TRAINING. 



Experiments of 1895-6. 



First test. 



The variety selected for these tests was the Lorillard, which is 

 conceded to be one of the best kinds for winter forcing. Plate IV 

 shows a cluster of Lorillard life size as grown in the forcing 

 house. Some fruits grow considerably larger than those illus- 

 trated here and in mid-winter they are often smaller than these. 

 As grown in the forcing house the flesh is quite solid and the 

 seeds are few as shown in Plate V. For a second crop to be 

 fruited in late winter or spring some other variety, like May- 

 flower, may be preferred. 



