104 TOMATO CULTURE 



dividual taste. A round fruit is best for canning; a 

 long one is the most economical for slicing, though 

 some prefer a flat one for this purpose. It is always 

 desirable that the outline of the horizontal section shall 

 be smooth, flowing and symmetrical, and if there be 

 any distinct sutures that they shall be shallow and 

 broad ; but the relative importance of this, and whether 

 the outline be round or oval, is wholly a matter of 

 individual taste. Some people and markets prefer 

 one shape and others a very different one. Size and 

 smoothness of fruit are the factors which control price 

 in some markets, while in others these points are quite 

 secondary to color and character of flesh. 



We have sorts which vary from the perfectly spher- 

 ical ones of the grape and cherry, to those in which 

 the vertical diameter is less than a third of that of 

 the horizontal section, and the pear-shaped in which 

 the vertical diameter is twice or thrice that of the long- 

 est horizontal section, and from those in which the 

 outline of both the vertical and horizontal sections 

 is smooth and flowing to those in which the vertical 

 section has a deep indentation at both the stem and 

 opposite ends, and those in which the horizontal sec- 

 tion is broken by deep indentures and sutures often 

 disposed with great irregularity. 



For shipping long distances, for the rough handling, 

 and for the easy preparation for the fruit for canning, 

 a thick, tough skin is desirable, while for home use 

 it is objectionable. Freedom from blemish or skin 

 crack is also often an important quality, and we have 

 sorts which vary greatly in these respects. The color 

 of the skin, whether purple, red, yellow or white, is 



