The Canadian Horticulturist. 



151 



TOMATOES TESTED. 



AT the Agricultural College, Mich- 

 igan, 148 varieties of tomatoes 

 have been tested. A large number of 

 the socalled varieties have been found 

 SN'nonjnious, or so nearly alike that 

 they could not be readily distin- 

 guished ; still the result of the work 

 greath' simplifies the work of the 

 gardener who, when selecting, need 

 only consider the groups, and not the 



Fig. 42. — WoNiiER of Italy. 



sub-varieties, which differ little from 

 each other. 



For pickling and preserving, the 

 Cherry, the Pear and the Plum to- 

 matoes are commended. One of the 

 varieties of the latter group, known 

 as " Wonder of Italy," is shown in 

 our engraving. 



For ordinary cooking and table 

 use, the apple-shaped varieties are 

 the best, as Advance or Hatha- 

 way's Excelsior for early, and almost 

 any in the group of Cardinal, Para, 

 gon or Perfection groups for main 

 crop. Of these latter, the Ignotum. 



of tlie I'aragon group, is especially 

 commended in the following terms : 

 Among the older varieties the Ig- 

 notum deserves special mention. 

 This tomato was obtained as a sport 

 from Eiformitre Dnuer. This year it 

 exhibited some tendency to revert, 

 but it furnished us the largest and 

 finest fruits we had. They were 

 thick, solid and quite smooth. One 

 of the earliest to ripen, the plants 

 remained vigorous throughout the 

 season notwithstanding the dry wea- 

 ther, and still bore a number of 



green fruits when killed by the frost. 

 The variety was tested by quite a 

 number of specialists, and without 

 exception they spoke favorabl}- of it. 

 Prof. Goff, of the New York Experi- 

 ment Station, writes: "Although 

 the fruits were not very uniform, 

 some were as fine as anything in the 

 shape of a tomato I have ever seen ; 

 of good size, remarkably solid and 

 perfectly smooth. With a few sea- 

 sons' selection it will tloubtless be 

 unsurpassed." 



The Mikado is described as quite 

 early, and averaging the largest of 

 any tomato grown : the Acme is of 

 thin skin, making it too tender for 

 distant shipment. 



