water disphicement method of measuring proved quite satisfactory 

 and accurate. In all the experiments in this series we used the 

 Lorillard variety of tomato, and, with the exception of those in Table 

 I, double stem plants were employed, grown in lo inch pots. Both 

 the pruned and check plants in this series had all auxiliary suckers 

 removed but the check plants were not otherwise interfered with. 

 In figure i, page lo, is shown a tomato plant before cutting the 

 lower leaves. 



Table I, shows the results of five experiments in which a number 

 of the lower leaves were removed from the stem of the pruned plant. 

 Table I, showing the percentage of average increased growth of 



stems and fruit of pruned tomato plants over check plants. 



Single stem plants used. Pruning consisted in removing 



the lower leaves. 



No. of No. of Plants Percent gain of pruned over checks 



Exp. employed. Stem. Fruit. 



4 days after cutting 



5 days after cutting 

 5 days after cutting 

 5 days after cutting 

 7 days after cutting 



Averages 32^^ iS^r 



In Experiments i, 2 and 3 the fruit was measured with calipers; 

 in 4 and 5 the displacement of water was employed as a means of 

 determining the increased growth. The plants were carefully mated 

 in all instances as regards development and size of fruit, and meas- 

 urements were taken in each experiment three to four days before the 

 leaves were removed. The number of experiments shown in this 

 table is not suflficient to give accurate averages. They do, neverthe- 

 less, show that pruning or cutting off of a few of the lower leaves pro- 

 duces some modifications in the rate of growth of the stems or lead- 

 ers and fruit. 



The average percent as given for the five experiments is 32 for the 

 growth of stem, and 18 for the fruit. Or in other words pruning the 



