268 



Report of the Horticulturist of the 



Table XIV.— Three-stem Plants. Time of Ripenixg First Fruit, Aver- 

 age Number of Fruits Per Plant, Weight Per Fruit and Yield 

 Per Square Foot of Bench. 



In this case as with single-stem plants, the two methods of 

 benching which were tried showed no striking difference in 

 results. The third test will now be considered. 



Experiments of 1896-7. 

 Third Test Using Three-stem Plants. 

 Seed of Lorillard for this test was sown August 15, 1896. The 

 method of selecting the plants, the preparation of the soil, etc.,. 

 are explained on pages 255 to 258. 



The plants in pots were benched alternately with plants out of 

 pots as in the second test, and the two lots of plants are consid- 

 ered strictly comparable. Of the twenty plants selected for 

 three-stem training ten were not grown in pots and ten were 

 kept in pots. One of the plants in pots was accidentally broken 

 and was thrown out of the test. The records show a remarkably- 

 uniform growth of the young plants as may be seen from the 

 following table: 



Table XV. — Three-stem Plants. Height of Young Plants. 



METHOD or BENCHING. 



In pots 



Not in i)ots. 



Average Height in Inches. 



2.08 

 2.00 



7.19 

 7.20 





12.19 

 12.80 



♦With the three-stem plants the tips of the main stems were pinched out .iust beyond 

 the first flower cluster, so as to favor the growth of the side shoots for the three-stena 

 training. On this account the height of three-stem plants should not be compared with, 

 the height of the single-stem plants on November 19th. 



