568 EXPEBIMENT STATION KEGORD. 



in amount of early fruit and total yield the pole sorts were consideraVjly ahead. 

 Alaska was one of the best early smooth peas grown. The percentage of total weight 

 of peas that are e<lible was determined for 29 varieties. This varied from 33 per cent 

 in Ameer to 57 per cent in Admiral. Next to Admiral the varieties giving the largest 

 percentage of edible peas were Quality, Nott New Perfection, Surprise, I'reminm 

 Gem, and Heroine. 



With tomatoes, Hulsart Selection was the earliest maturing variety in 1901. Best 

 of All showed the smallest percentage of culls and stood third in lowest percentage 

 of rotten fruit. Over f of the total yield of Early Dwarf Prolific graded as culls and 

 53.4 per cent of Early Bird was culls. A test was made of large v. small tomato 

 seed. Fifty of the largest and 50 of the smallest well-formed seed of Beauty were 

 selected and planted in pots in the forcing house each spring for 3 seasons. The 

 average weight of early tomatoes from the large seed for 3 seasons has been 7 lbs. 15 

 oz., and from small seed 5 lbs. 7 oz. The total weight from large seed has been 29 

 Iba. 15 oz., and from small seed 29 lbs. 8 oz. The average size of the fruit has been 

 4.8 oz. for the large seed and 4.9 oz. for the small seed. The weight of the culls has 

 been about the same in both cases, while the weight of the rotten fruit in the case of 

 the large seed was 2 lbs. 12 oz., and from the small seed 1 lb. 13 oz. The weight of 

 the 50 large seeds when planted was 0.176 gm. and of the small seed 0.071 gm. In 

 another experiment tomatoes were started February 1 to 15, March 1 to 15, and April 

 1, and handled all the way from 5 times in the case of those planted February 1 to 

 twice with those jtlanted April 1. The best yields were obtained from those started 

 Fel)ruary 15 and the next best from those started March 1. These results indicate, 

 in the opinion of the author, that the latter half of February is the best time to start 

 tomato seed. Thus started they require handling 3 or 4 times. 



Experiments in crossing- plants, B. D. Halsted {New Jersey Stas. Rpt. 1901, 

 pp. 389-411, pis. S). — In continuation of previous work (E. S. R., 13, p. 743), plants 

 were grown during the year from seed obtained in crossing Lima beans, tomatoes, 

 cucumbers, eggplants, sweet corn, and salsify. The characteristics of the plants 

 obtained, yields secured, etc., are recorded in considerable detail. 



Beans (pj). 389-392). — In the case of beans the Henderson and Burpee types of 

 dwarf Limas were crossed in 1900 and the seed obtained from these crosses planted 

 in 1901. Of the hundreds of plants grown, all remained true to the dwarf type except 

 7 plants, which developed into vigorous climbing pole beans. The quality of the 

 crossed beans compared favorably with the Burpee variety and was superior to that 

 of the Henderson. The beans were not quite as large as those of the Burpee variety. 

 The average yield was 27 pods per plant, five-sixths of which matured. This yield 

 was about 4 times greater than that of the parent plants. In earliness the hybrid 

 beans were ahead of the Henderson. Other experiments with wax beans indicate 

 that this crop can be successfully grown continuously on the same ground under good 

 cultivation for at least 8 years with 2 crojjs each season. 



Tomatoes (pp. 392-396). — The crossing of yellow and red varieties of tomatoes in 

 previous years resulted in producing plants of remarka1)le vigor. One of these plants 

 produced fruits that were nearly seedless. When the seed of this plant was grown 

 in 1901 an average crop of fair-sized fruits having a small percentage of seeds was pro- 

 duced. When Golden Sunrise, a yellow tomato, and Dwarf Champion, a red tomato, 

 were grown alongside of each other the fruitfulness of the Golden Sunrise averaged 

 91, while that of Dwarf Champion averaged but 61 . The Dwarf Champion came . 

 into earlier bearing than Golden Sunrise, and if green fruits be excluded from the 

 record there would not be much in favor of the Golden Sunrise variety. The toma- 

 toes in this experiment made the eighth crop grown continuously on the same land. 

 The experiment brings out the fact that tomatoes may be successfully grown on the 

 same land continuously if good tilth, spraying, and the prompt removal of diseased 

 fruits are attended to. 



