268 



Eeport of the Horticulturist op the 



Table XIV.— Three-stem Plants. Time of Ripening First Fruit, Aver- 

 age Number of Fruits Per Plant, Weight Per Fruit and Yielx> 

 Per Square Foot of Bench. 



In this case as with single-stem plants, the two methods of 

 benching which were tried showed no striking difference ia 

 results. The third test will now be considered. 



Experiments of 1896-7. 

 Third Test Using Three-stein Plants. 



Seed of Lorillard for this test was sown August 15, 1896. The 

 method of selecting the plants, the preparation of the soil, etc.^ 

 are explained on pages 255 to 258. 



The plants in pots were benched alternately with plants out of 

 pots as in the second test, and the two lots of plants are consid- 

 ered strictly comparable. Of the twenty plants selected for 

 three-stem training ten were not grown in pots and ten were 

 kept in pots. One of the plants in pots was accidentally brokeia 

 and was throw^n out of the test. The records show a remarkably 

 uniform growth of the young plants as may be seen from the 

 following table: 



Table XV. — Three-stem Plants. Height of Young Plants. 



♦W'ith the three-stem plants the tips of the main stems were pinched out just beyond 

 the first flower cluster, so as to favor the growth of the side shoots for the three-stem 

 training. On this account the height of three-stem plants should not be compared with 

 the height of the single-stem plants on November 19th. 



