104 Bulletin 78 



toes in living through the summer and producing two crops on the 

 same vines instead of requiring replanting. 



Tomatoes are propagated in two ways in this region: (1) By- 

 planting the seed in the usual way in protected seed-boxes and either 

 transplanting directly from these to the field or first transplanting 

 to other boxes or to pots, and (2) by planting the seed in hills where 

 the plants are to remain. As the latter method is the one that 

 has proven preferable at the Farm, and as it is in following this 

 method only that the seed and plants are exposed to outdoor con- 

 ditions from the first, it is the one that will be discussed most fully. 

 The principal advantages of planting the seed in hills outdoors are 

 that this method involves less labor, and usually results in the pro- 

 duction of an earlier and heavier crop. Though the seed may be 

 sown much earlier in protected seed-boxes than outdoors, the trans- 

 planting of the plants under our climatic conditions usually so checks 

 their growth and renders them susceptible to disease that they are 

 surpassed in growth and production by those planted in the field. 



Tomato seed will germinate outdoors and the young plants start 

 and make continuous growth during most years from the middle of 

 Februarv to the first of May. In 1899, seed planted in January 

 did not send up many plants until the end of February, but they 

 grew continuously thereafter, tomatoes maturing earlier than on 

 plants grown from seed planted in boxes January 3 and transplanted 

 April 10. vSome seasons the young plants receive some injury from 

 frosts, l3ut as a rule few young plants are killed, enduring a surprising 

 amount of cold if planted in the field. During the spring of 1900 

 the young plants from seed planted out February 10 were not 

 injured by cold. In 1901, about a fourth of the young plants from 

 seed planted Februar)- 14 were killed March 25, the minimum tem- 

 perature being 26° at the ground, 30° in the government shelter, 

 and 35° at the Weather Bureau. They had been uninjured by a 

 previous frost March 13 when the minimum temperatures were 27° 

 at the ground, 32° in the government shelter, and 37° at the Weather 

 Bureau. In the spring of 1902, tomatoes growing from seed that 

 had lain in the ground over winter were uninjured March 4, when 

 the minimum temperatures were, respectively, 27°, 33°, and 38° at 

 the above points; but were slightly injured March 26 when the 

 minimum temperatures were 30°, 33°, and 36°, respectively, at 

 the same points. During the spring of 1903 tomatoes were uninjured 

 outdoors, though March 19 the mercury fell to 27° at the ground, 

 13° in the government shelter, and 36° at the Weather Bureau. 



