730 



was entirely different.) "Novelties" proved no earlier than tlie older kinds. The 

 greater the number of cells in the tomato, the higher the percentage of solid flesh. 

 An average of 10| cells per fruit gives 80 per cent of flesh. Pot-grown plants undis- 

 turbed from the seed did not "damp off" as easily as plants bed-grown and trans- 

 planted. Pot-grown plants exceeded transplanted plants in product 18 per cent, or 

 at the rate of 2 tons per acre. In earliness or first month of bearing pot-grown plants 

 yielded double the others, a gain of 30 bushels of early fruit per acre. 



For quantity of crop tomatoes should be w'ell manured, but it is not well to grow them 

 on the same land successive years. The best crops on fertilizer plats were produced 

 by nitrate of soda, and by a " complete " mixture containing nitrate of soda; in 1889 

 the result was the same. Better results generally followed the use of two fertiliz- 

 ing elements combined than one used alone, but potash alone as muriate gave good 

 results — better than some mixtures. Phosphoric acid alone had little effect on quan- 

 tity of crop. Nitrogen in the form of dried blood gave no results. Nitrate of soda 

 and muriate of potash can be recommended as special fertilizers for the tom.ato. 

 Potash fertilizers seem to decrease sugar and increase acid in tomatoes. Phosphoric 

 acid plats produced some of the sweetest tomatoes found. Nitrogen and potash atfect 

 composition of fruit more than phosphoric acid. All three fertilizing elements in- 

 crease these same elements in the fruit. Phosphoric acid appears to assist most in 

 the use of other plant food already in the soil. 



The tomato is not a specially exhausting crop. Tomatoes do not remove as much 

 plant food from soil as most common farm crops at usual rates of product per acre. 

 The refuse of the crop from an acre of tomatoes contains more fertilizing material than 

 similar remains of most other crops. The vines and roots of the tomato are very rich 

 in potash. The residue of the tomato croj) should be evenly spread and i^lowed under. 

 As regards soil economy the tomato crop is a desirable one to raise. 



Massachusetts State Station, Circular, April, 1891 (pp. 4). 



Analyses of commercial fertilizers and manurial sub- 

 stances SENT ON FOR EXAMINATION, C. A. GOESSMANN, PH. D. — 



This iucludes analyses of saltpeter waste, " fish chuin," tobacco leaves, 

 fifteen samples of compound fertilizers, and seven samples of bone 

 manures. Trade values for fertilizing ingredients for 1891 are also 

 given. 



Massachusetts Hatch Station, Meteorological Bulletin No. 28, April, 1891 



(pp. 4). 



A daily and monthly summary of observations for April, 1891, made 

 at the meteorological observatory of the station, in charge of C. D. 

 Warner, B. S. 



Michigan Station, Bulletin No. 73, April, 1891 (pp. 16). 



Kerosene emulsion, A. J. Cook, M. S. (pp. 3-7). — A defense of the 

 author's formula for kerosene emulsion. 



Some new insects, A. J. Cook, M. S., and G. C. Davis, M. S. 

 (pp. 7-16, illustrated). — Descriptions and illustrations are given of the 

 following insects: Grape phymatodes {Phymatodcs amwnm. Say); 

 Meteorus bal-eri, n. s., a parasite on Ryphantria cunea ; Mefeorus com- 

 munis, Cress., Mesochorus pulchellus, n. s., Ischnocerus nigricapitaius^ 



