VEGETABLES. . 243 



strongly the ball of the potato. The Boston Market tomato is 

 of good market size, is early, colors well all over and fills up 

 very solid. This is the favorite sort around Boston, where lead- 

 ing market gardeners have their different strains. Around New 

 York this kind has not always given such satisfaction, the garden- 

 ers there appearing to lay more stress on size than on some more 

 valuable characteristics, which have to be sacrificed. General 

 Grant closely resembles Boston Market, but is somewhat smaller, 

 and perhaps rather more solid ; it may be a little earlier and is 

 somewhat smoother. I consider this but a strain of the Boston 

 Market. The Mammoth Cluster is large, round and showy, but is 

 too inclined to be hollow to be considered an acquisition. Orange- 

 field and New White Apple make a class by themselves. They 

 may be called fruit tomatoes ; there are no other sorts that 

 equal these for eating uncooked, as we eat an apple. They are 

 somewhat small in size, but of elegant shape and color, contrast- 

 ing beautifully with each other when brought on the table in 

 a dish in their natural state. They peel as readily as a peach, 

 and their flavor is unsurpassed. The vines of Dwarf Scotch, De 

 Laye and Wonder are all dwarf in their habits and growth. 

 DeLaye is a superb tomato, both in color and quality, when you 

 can mature the fruit ; but it is very late and quite a shy bearer, 

 so much so as to be of no value except for its curious habit of 

 growth, the leaves being very dark green, and exceptionally 

 thick, while the stalk is very stout. Wonder, I have grown but 

 one season. It somewhat resembles DeLaye in habit of growth 

 and bearing qualities, though the plant is larger and more pro- 

 ductive. Dwarf Scotch is the most dwarf variety having the 

 habits of the common sort with which I am acquainted. I 

 consider it valuable to those gardeners who seek an early kind, 

 and have but little room to spare. Keyes's Prolific was much 

 over-praised when first introduced, and a reaction in public sen- 

 timent has caused it to be ranked lower than it deserves. It is 

 early, a fair bearer, yielding fruit sweeter than most varieties. 

 Maupay is a large, solid, handsome, late sort, having quite a 

 basin around the stem. Early York is somewhat irregular in 

 shape, very early and very productive. Fejee and Lester's 

 Perfected are so nearly alike that there is no distinction worth 

 noting. The fruit is large and very solid. If this tomato were 

 of a scarlet color, and as early as Boston Market, it would be a 



