240 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



VEGETABLES. 



ESSEX. 



From the Report of the Committee. 



Over thirty years ago I sold the first tomatoes ever brought 

 into the market of my native town. At that time we knew of 

 but one variety — the large red ; a year or two after, some of the 

 purple sorts began to creep in. For several years past I have 

 raised for seed purposes upwards of twenty varieties of this 

 popular vegetable. Amidst so many varieties the new beginner 

 stands confounded, asking, "What shall I plant?" Let us 

 first examine into the characteristics of some of these varieties, 

 and then, having these before us, we shall be prepared for a dis- 

 cussion of their merits. The old classification was into Large 

 Red and Round Red ; Large Red meaning a large-sized tomato 

 of an irregular shape, and Round Red, any flat-round or spherical 

 sort. Grouping together such of the varieties now before the 

 public as admit of being thus classified, under Large Red, Alger, 

 Chihuahua ; and under Round Red, Wonder, General Grant, 

 Charter Oak, Mammoth Cluster, Essex Early, Crimson Cluster, 

 Orangefield, Powel's Early, Trophy, Valencia Cluster, Boston 

 Market, Tilden, New Mexican, DeLaye, Rising Sun, Lester's 

 Perfected, or Fegee, and New White Apple, Grape, Cherry and 

 Plum. Some of these grow a little irregular, but for the most 

 part are round in shape. Subdividing into spherical and fiat- 

 round, I should put into the first class Mammoth Cluster, 

 Charter Oak, Orangefield, Essex Early, New Mexican, New 

 White Apple, Grape, Cherry and Plum. Let me here note, that, 

 probably owing to a growth interrupted by drouth, the second 

 setting of the fruit of a round variety may be irregular in shape. 

 Into the second class go the remainder, with the limitation that 

 Tilden's Tomato, DeLaye, Cook's Favorite, Maupay, Keyes 

 Trophy, and Rising Sun, hold nearly an intermediate position. 

 Early York, Philadelphia Early, Hubbard and Dwarf Scotch, 

 would be classed with Large Red, except for their size. The 

 Fig Tomatoes, yellow and red, make a class by themselves. 



