TOMATOES FOE ENGLISH MARKET. 



Sir, In reply to your favor of the 

 2oth, inst, would say, That of all vari- 

 eties of tomatoes that I am acquainted 

 with I would recommend the Dwarf 

 Champion and Dwarf Aristocrat as 

 coming within the needed qualification 

 required for your purpose. 



Where the market demands a small 

 tomato there is no variety with more 

 good points to recommend them than 

 the two named. First, the plants being 

 of a very peeuliar dwarfish habit, stand- 

 ing upright like sturdy little trees, make 

 them very easy to grow in the green- 

 house or hot-bed, and when ready for 

 transplanting do not wilt like other 

 slenderer varieties but commence 

 growth at once and make strong up- 

 right bushes that usually need no trim- 

 ming or tying up. Secondly, they can 

 be planted closer together than the com- 

 mon varieties on account of their up- 

 right habit and holding their fruit up 

 from the ground without the aid of 

 stakes or racks ; much expense is saved 

 in their cultivation. Thirdly, they are 

 of perfect shape and smoothness, and 

 fourthly, they ripen quite early in the 

 season being the earliest of all smooth 

 varieties. There are a few varieties that 

 may ripen a little earlier, but they will 

 always have a large proportion of their 

 food quite rough, whereas a rough fruit 

 on either of these kinds is very rare. I 

 also consider them much less liable to 

 be afflicted with blights and diseases 

 than other varieties. 



The Dwarf Champion is of a dark red 

 or purplish color, and the Dwarf Aris- 

 tocrat is of a light red or scarlet color. 

 In our western markets the demand is 



for a dark red colored fruit, but in some 

 of the eastern markets the light red 

 color is preferred. You will have to 

 find out the color demanded by your 

 market and choose accordingly. The 

 color IS the only difference between the 

 two varieties. I understand that a yel- 

 low variety of the same class has lately 

 been put upon the market, but I have 

 not tested it as yet. As to the early 

 Michigan, I have heard it well spoken 

 of, but the only plants I have ever seen 

 of it did not impress me very favorably 

 with it, and so I would not consider it 

 nearly as good a variety as the two 

 mentioned. 



For a home market, that like our 

 American markets, likes a very solid 

 large tomato, I know of none, which, 

 taking all points into consideration, are 

 equal to the two new ones. Rex and 

 Gloria. The first, a dark red very 

 large sized fruit ; the latter, not quite as 

 large a fruit, but yet large enough to be 

 classed among the large ones, and of a 

 light re^ color ; both are very firm solid 

 flesh and of superior flavor. 



The copy of January number of 

 Canadian Horticulturist at hand, 

 and well pleased with it ; shall look for- 

 ward with pleasant anticipation for its 

 monthly visits. 



It is our ambition to make our grounds 

 occupy the same place as the original 

 home of new vegetables, as those won- 

 derful grounds of Luther Burbank's do 

 as the home of new and wonderful 



fruits. 



L. H. Read. 



Grand Rapids, Wisconsin. 



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