729 



cold fraiTip, and a good many of the transplanted plants were lost by "damping off." 

 No plants were lost from this canse among those in the x>ot8. » * » 



When all were ])Iaced in the field, the one series were carefnlly slipped out of the 

 pots and showed no sign of feeling the change; the other series were taken np with 

 all the soil which naturally adhered to the roots, and were set out with somewhat 

 unusual care. In the (ield the two lots of six plants each of every variety, alike in 

 all respects except the methods of starting, were placed in rows side by side, and 

 thereafter all fared alike. There was a notable diflcrence in favor of the potted 

 plants in starting to grow in the field and in tl»o first blooming. 



There were 8:5 of the.se variety sets carried through the .season with an unbroken 

 record, xn 72 cases the yield of the potted plants exceeded the yield of those trans- 

 planted. Of the 10 highest yields all but one were from potted plants. Comparing 

 the computed product per acre, the average of tiie potted plants was 12.78 tons, and 

 of the others 10.70 tons, showing a gain of a little over 2 tons of fruit, per acre as 

 apparently due to the pot system of starting the plants. This increase is 18 per 

 cent, and much more than enough to pay for the extra cost of this method, * ♦ » 

 The i»otted plants, as a whole, produced about twice as much fruit prior to August 

 l.'j as did those grown in the usual way. The average was 59 bushels for the potted 

 plants and 30 bushels for those transplanted. Every one of the 20 best early pro- 

 ducers shows a greater yield from the potted plants. 



Tomatoes, fertilizer test (pp. 58-61). — The plats used in this test were 

 those on which a similar test was conducted in 1889. The varieties 

 planted were "the Ignotum, Queen, and Trophy; the Queen plants 

 were from 4 different lots of seed, and the Trophy from 3 different lots ; 

 so the record was kept for these 8 sets of plants (7 each) on every ])lat 

 separately." Nitrate of soda, dried blood, and dissolved bone-black, 

 singly ; and nitrate of soda, dissolved bone-black, and muriate of potash, 

 two by two, and all three together, were used on 10 plats, 2 plats 

 receiving no manure. The yields of each variety are stated in a table. 



Tomatoes, chemical analyses (pp. Gl-71). — This includes eight tables 

 showing the average composition of tomatoes from the 12 plats differ- 

 ently manured for 1889 and 1890 ; partial ash analysis of tomatoes from 

 the same plats in 1890; the amount of the different fertilizing ingre- 

 dients in the total fruit product per acre; a partial analysis of the fruit, 

 vine, and roots of tomatoes ; the yield per acre in pounds of the various 

 fertilizing ingredients in the fruit, vine, and roots of tomatoes; the 

 approximate quantities of nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and potash in the 

 product and in the roots and stubble of sundry crops per acre; and 

 the fertilizing components of various farm crops (hay, fodder, straw, 

 grain, meal, vegetables, etc.). 



Tomatoes, summary of experiments (pp. 72, 73). — This is by the Direc- 

 tor of the station, and includes, among others, the following statements: 



In the variety test the range of yield was from 2 to 20 tons per acre, and the average 

 yield was 11.75 tons, or 390 bushels per acre. Selected varieties averaged 14 tons per 

 acre. Ignotum gave the best yield, 19.81 tons, or 660 bushels per acre. The ten best 

 varieties, averaging 18 tons per acre, were Ignotum, Favorite, General McCIellan, 

 Early Essex, Large Red, Perfection, Early Smooth Red, Scoville, Trophy, and Table 

 Queen. The best producers during the two years were Ignotum and Favorite. In 1890 

 the earliest varieties were Hundred Day, Hubbard's Curled Leaf, Ignotum, King of 

 the Earlies, Extra Early Advance, and Early Market Champion. (The list for 1889 



