SUMMER MEETING AT BROOKFIELD. 75 



some even from the Department ; not one-half the peas planted ger- 

 minated at all. Philadelphia Extra Early, Early May and other early 

 sorts, descendants of the old Early Kent (in my opinion), were very sat- 

 isfactory ; we could not do without Bliss' American Wonder. 



Beans. — The Early Yellow Six Weeks and the improved Early Val- 

 entine gave great satisfaction — the latter is the best in quality beyond a 

 doubt. Had several plantings, and string beans were on our table even 

 into November ; their season with us was for nearly or quite ninety 

 days. The pods must be pulled when fit for the table to keep the 

 plants in bearing. It has been claimed that Lima beans did not need 

 a pole longer than a barrel stave ; that may do where there is plenty of 

 time to pinch back, but the vines will not do their best. Ours had 

 poles higher than a man can reach. They kept on bearing until the 

 middle of November and were of No. 1 quality. They need a very deep 

 and well prepared soil, so that the roots can strike down fully twelve 

 inches, then it pays. The tall Mt. D'or were a complete failure. (Re- 

 ceived from the Department.) 



The new thing (to me) about spinach was the fact when sown com- 

 pactly in rows and cultivated, the plants, when fit for use, need not be 

 pulled up by the roots, but when cut within an inch or two of the heart 

 will keep on growing as long as desired ; of course the latest growth 

 will be the tenderest. 



The Eclipse is the best early table beet. The sugar beet and man- 

 golds (seed received from the Department of Agriculture) grew to 

 enormous size and were of superior quality. A friend of mine used 

 some of the sugar beets for the table and found them excellent. 



Sugar corn. — Sugar corn seems to be a general favorite with Ameri- 

 can people. Europeans will have to acquire a taste for it — they gener- 

 ally like it after a few trials. There is a very wide difference between 

 the roasting ear of field corn of old times and the improved sweet corn 

 of the present day. 



I planted about eight varieties : Genesee, claimed to be ten days 

 earlier than any other sort, proved to be later than the Cory and the 

 Minnesota. There is no variety known to me superior to Sto well's 

 Evergreen. We had a late mammoth sort, obtained I think from Tick, 

 which also proved excellent in quality. Stadtlers and one other kind 

 received from the Department of Agriculture were fair in quality but 

 not extra. 



Of turnips the Golden Ball or A.mber has grown the largest, but 

 the old-fashioned Purple-top is the sweetest and the stand-by and most 

 reliable. 



Tomatoes. — My family is very partial to the Yellow Perfected, 

 because it is of a milder flavor than most of the red sorts, and, as we 



