A COURSE IN FOREST Y IN THE UNIVERSITY OF MINN. 283 



directness upon the conditions which will present themselves to 

 the forester. 



It seems to me that there can be no question but what the 

 near future will see a great development in the care and manage- 

 ment of our timber lands, and this will certainly make a demand for 

 superintendents of forest tracts. But in order to be successful they 

 must be well qualified for their- work. The opportunities in the 

 sparsely settled districts, where this work will most likely lie, will 

 put the forest superintendent in a position where he will come to the 

 front if a man of natural, average intelligence, and he will become a 

 leader among men. For certain minds such positions are very at- 

 tractive. ♦ 



EARLY TOMATOES IN THE OPEN GROUND. 



T. T. BACHEU.ER, MINNEAPOLIS. 



If I understand my topic, I am expected to state what I have 

 learned from experience about growing tomatoes in this climate 

 out of doors, and producing mature fruit earlier in the season than 

 the normal or average date of its ripening. My experience in this 

 line is limited, but my success thus far has certainly given suffi- 

 cient satisfaction to pay for the endeavor. 



During the season of 1900 I was marketing limited quantities 

 of very handsome tomatoes in advance of other local outdoor grow- 

 ers, so far as I could learn. The price obtained was such that I 

 wished the quantity were greater. I kept no record of dates, but 

 I know by concurrent events that we were doing considerable pick- 

 ing by the last half of July, and that our first ripe fruit- was secured 

 shortly after the Fourth. 



In the latter part of January, 1901, we sowed several kinds of 

 seeds in a small window box, simply to test their vitality. The lot 

 included two varieties of tomatoes, Acme and Dwarf Champion. 

 When the plants were well started we decided to try and save the 

 tomatoes until warm weather, and so pulled up the others. When 

 from one to two inches high the young plants were transplanted 

 to fill the entire space, and the number was reduced by pulling 

 out the weaker ones from time to time. Most of the remaining 

 plants made a very robust growth, and when averaging eight or 

 nine inches in height we decided to give them the better accom- 

 modations of a hotbed, then just ready for them. Each plant was 

 placed in the center of a quart-sized strawberry box, the boxes 

 were closely packed in order in the frame, and enough dirt put 



