BUREAU OF PLANT INDUSTRY. 177 



tions in the South may produce very strikiiifrly difTorent results in 

 yields and that the better strains in some instances show a yield of 200 

 bushels or more per acre in localities where the average production 

 from the seed commonly used is not more than 50 or 60 bushels. More- 

 over, there is wide variation in the yields of the different lots of the 

 same variety. 



The work relating to the durability and vitality of seed stock 

 when held in cold storage for different lengths of time is naturally 

 progressive. The work thus far indicates the possibilit}^ of using 

 potatoes for seed purposes which have been held in cold storage for 

 at least two years. These iuA'estigations have a bearing on the possi- 

 bility of safeguarding valuable seed supplies. If it proves prac- 

 ticable, for instance, to hold over in cold storage for at least one 

 season seed supplies groAvn in years when the crop is very large and 

 the prices are low, in contrast with a frequent practice of unduly 

 reducing the seed supply in seasons of light crops and correspond- 

 ingly high prices, it will contribute materially to the economics of 

 the industry. 



FACTORS AFFECTING THE STORAGE LIFE OF VEGETABLES. 



Work on the storage life of vegetables has been carried on with sev- 

 eral different crops, including studies of the ripening and handling of 

 tomatoes in Florida. These ripening and handling investigations of 

 tomatoes yielded results which are of very definite importance to the 

 industry. As ordinarily handled in a commercial way, the tomatoes 

 are shipped from Florida to the northern markets during the winter 

 and ripen very irregularly, frequently possessing undesirable flavors, 

 and not infre(|uently there is considerable loss from decay or other 

 forms of deterioration. 



It was found with regard to the fruit when picked that the 

 individual specimens of the same age from the blossom ripened uni- 

 formly after picking, thus indicating that the age of the individual 

 fruits from the blossoming time should be the guide in picking rather 

 than the size of the fruit. 



As ordinarily shipped, the individual fruits are wrapped when 

 packed. In this work it was determined that the undesirable flavor 

 of the fruit picked before it was fully ripe and ripened artificially, as 

 compared with vine-ripened fruit, is due to ripening under insuffi- 

 cient ventilation. It Avas also deteiTnined that under proper ventila- 

 tion it was possible to ripen fruit picked before it was fully mature, 

 so as to compare favorably with vine-ripened fruit. This develop- 

 ment appears to suggest that it would be better to ship the fruit un- 

 wrapped than wrapped, although no actual shipping test could be 

 made in connection with this work with a view to demonstrating this 

 point. It was found, further, in the course of these investigations, 

 that (luring the ripening period of tomatoes there is an increase in the 

 moisture, acid, and sugar and a decrease in the solids, total nitrogen, 

 starch,* pentosans, crude fiber, and ash. 



FLORICULTURAL INVESTIGATIONS. 



This ar-tivity has been carried on principally at Arlington Farm, 

 Va.. and at Bell Station, in Maryland. At Arlington Farm the 

 rose test garden has been ( ontinued as in previous years, as have also 



