lower leaves induces a greater response in the growth of the leader 



than in the growth of the fruit. 



Table II, showing average increase growth of fruit on 9 check and 9 

 pruned tomato plants. Two stem plants used. Pruning 

 consisted in removing the lower leaves. Duration of 

 experiment, one month. 



No. of fruit measured. Average increase in size. 



Checks 15 40 cubic centimeters 



Pruned 15 51 " " 



Gain of pruned over check plants 21^. • 



The results of a similar experiment are shown in the above table 

 where eighteen plants were used, nine of which were pruned and nine 

 left as checks. In this experiment, however, no measurements w'ere 

 taken of the growth in length of the plants, but fifteen typical green 

 tomatoes of uniform size and degree of development were measured, 

 while attached to the plant, by the displaced water method. This 

 experiment lasted four weeks, the fruit being measured at the time of 

 pruning and again four weeks later. The average size of the fifteen 

 young green fruit on the check plants was 15.3 cubic centimeters and 

 that for the pruned was 15.4 cubic centimeters before pruning. The 

 average increase growth of the fifteen tomatoes on the pruned plants 

 over that of the checks was 21 per cent as the result of removing the 

 lower leaves. 



Another experiment similarly conducted, which lasted two 

 months, in which 16 plants were used, 8 checks and 8 pruned, gave 

 the following results. 

 Table III, showing the amount of fruit, etc., obtained from 8 check 



and 8 pruned tomato plants. Two stem plants used. 



Pruning consisted in removing the lower leaves. Duration 



of experiment, two months. 



