288 NEW JERSEY STATE AGRICULTURAL 



with the white sorts. Of course, the fifty white kinds have crossed 

 much with each other, depending, possibly, upon time of blooming 

 in most part, but experience teaches that among corns there may 

 be affinities that account for some of the differences in this regard. 



Conditions for this Crop. 



The breeding plot was located upon land that had been re- 

 cently acquired and was not in a high state of cultivation, and 

 combined with this, was a season that was remarkable for its 

 backwardness. The table of climatic conditions for the crop- 

 growing months of April and May for the past nineteen years, 

 given upon the last pages of this report, show that they were sev- 

 enth in the amount of rainfall, nineteenth in the amount of heat 

 (that is coldest) and thirteenth in the amount of sunshine. 



Another discouraging feature in the making of this experiment 

 was the unlimited number of crows, which a wood lot close by 

 made it difficult to control, for the field is at the rear of the Col- 

 lege Farm and a long distance from the other breeding grounds. 

 The first planting was generally uprooted and the second one, 

 only saved by use of various scarecrow devices. Worst of all, 

 as the grains came intO' the milk stage, the plot was invaded and 

 the tying of bags upon the ears was not sufficient to secure the 

 crop. 



EXPERIMENTS WITH TOMATOES. 



A somewhat different field treatment than formerly was given 

 to the tomatoes the present season. The hills were made four feet 

 apart each way and the usual hand-tillage was almost entirely re- 

 placed by horse-culture. A test was made of growing two plants 

 in a hill, in many instances, with good results. Both stakes and 

 wire frames were alsoi used for holding up the vines with marked 

 success. 



Old Varieties Grown the Present Season. 



Only a few of the commercial sorts of tomatoes had a place in 

 the breeding grounds, this limitation being due chiefly to lack of 



