490 NEW JERSEY STATE AGRICULTURAL 



These crosses fruited this season in the field, and proved very- 

 satisfactory. The "Magnus" is a fine "pink" fruited "potato- 

 leaved" standard variety that is popular for its good qualities 

 of fruit and plant, while the "Pbnderosa" is still more widely 

 known as a remarkably productive large-fruited pink sort. The 

 latter variety has some objectionable qualities, among which are 

 the irregular shape of the fruit and the unevenness with which 

 it ripens. The fruits, while large and "meaty," waste badly in 

 the preparation for the table, a single fruit often not yielding 

 more than two whole slices. The general shape of the "Pon- 

 deroisa" fruit is well shown in the middle of the left row in 

 Plate VL The "Magnus," shown in the corresponding row to 

 the right, has a comparatively smooth, deep fruit, somewhat 

 inclined to be angled, as indicated in the middle specimen. The 

 foliage of the two varieties is quite distinct, the "Ponderosa" 

 being of the ordinary type, while the "Magnus," as above stated, 

 is "potato-leaved;" that is, the parts are thick, wrinkled, and of 

 that general character of shape, texture and color which has sug- 

 gested the name applied to this type of tomato foliage. These 

 differences cannot be well shown by a fragment in a picture, but 

 something of them are to be seen. 



The crosses are shown in the two middle rows, theone upon 

 the right being the "Magnus" pollinated with the "Ponderosa," 

 and the remaining row the reciprocal. The former is near the 

 mother t3^pe in foliage and character of the interior of the fruit. 

 This latter fact is shown by comparing the sections of the fruit 

 seen at the bottom of the respective rows. If the "Magnus" 

 has a fault in its fruit, it is in the large cells, giving a preponder- 

 ance of seed cavity. The opposite of this is true with the "Pon- 

 derosa," which is remarkable for the large number of small seed 

 cells and a high percentage of flesh. The cross upon the "Mag- 

 nus" has secured something of this excellent quality, but at the 

 same time somewhat of roughness and grooves at the stem end 

 of the fruit, although the latter ,is not enough to be serious. 



The reciprocal of the above, namely, with the "Magnus" 

 pollen upon the "Ponderosa," has given a plant more like the 

 female than male parent, while the fruits are close to those of 

 the above-described cross. There is somewhat more gain in 

 content of flesh. In other words, the solid core is broken by 

 seed cavities, and the fruit may be expected to be oblong to some 

 extent, as in the "Ponderosa." In short, thus far the crosses 

 are better than either parent. The fruit is a fine "pink," as 



