HORTICULTURE AND LANDSCAPE GARDENING. 75 



fore, that cultivation has not increased productiveness equally with size of 

 fruit. Neither has it made earlier plants, for, as shown by the table, the 

 Cherry and Plum sorts are still our earliest varieties. Cultivation has made 

 the tomato profitable by increasing the size of the fruit and by making it 

 more solid. Cultivation has bred away from profitable results as concerns 

 the relations of tomato rot to the various varieties. The more highly devel- 

 oped tomatoes are most liable, apparently, to be attacked by rot. In view of 

 all these facts, it is apparent that we have not yet reached the limit of devel- 

 opment, improvement in the tomato. 



For purposes of comparison, I have appended to the table a table made last 

 year, showing the weight of fruit and plant, and the ratio of the former to 

 the plant. The weights in these cases were obtained by weighing all the 

 fruit at once, ripe and green, as soon as the first picking was well matured, 

 and the plant was weighed at the same time. In this table the weights are 

 in pounds, while in the first they are expressed in ounces. Last year the 

 highest ratios of productiveness occurred in Mikado, Trophy, Canada Victor, 

 Hundred Days, Precursor, and Livingston's Beauty. It will be observed that 

 the ratios are higher this year than they were last. This is due to the fact 

 that last year the plants were grown upon a very rich and warm soil, which 

 made an enormous growth of vines, while this year they were grown upon a 

 rather backward soil without manure. Our crop was heavier this year than 

 last and easier to gather. 



Best Varieties. — Taken altogether, we find that, this year, the best market 

 sorts are Acme (No. 57 in Synopsis), Paragon (50), Queen (44), Puritan (53), 

 Optimus (51), Red Valencia Cluster (45), Potato Leaf (58), Mikado (59), and 

 Yellow Jefferson (33). Jackson (21) and Ignotum (52) also promise well, but 

 need to be further tested. In fact, Ignotum was this year our best tomato. 



Cypliomandra. — The so-called Tree Tomato of Jamaica was reared from 

 seeds last year and two plants were carried over winter in the green- 

 house. They were potted out in the spring. They grew well, attaining a 

 height of eight feet. They blossomed profusely during the fall, but did not 

 set fruit. We shall carry them over another year. This curious plant is a. 

 native of tropical America, a member of the Solanum family, though not a 

 tomato. It is Cyphomandra betacea. It has been widely distributed through 

 the tropics of late years. The fruit more nearly resembles an egg-plant fruit 

 than a tomato. We have also grown it this year from seeds from Peru which 

 were sent us as the '' Chileno Tomato." Of course the plant is valueless irii 

 this climate. 

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