56 



EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 351 



The butternut squash, a variety belonging to the Moschata group, 

 proved to be a very good yielder and of high quahty, but failed to keep 

 as well as other varieties in storage. It appears useful for early winter use. 



A. F. Ye ACER, H. S. Clapp 



Treatment of Seeds with Hormones and Hormone-like Preparations 



Various advertisements and articles make claims for the advantages 

 of hormone seed treatments and use on transplants. It seemed desirable 

 to test some of these to gain first-hand information as to their growth in 

 order to answer inquiries of interested people. 



All of the commercial preparations for seeds were in dust form, being 

 made up of hormones and, in some instances, vitamin B, mixed with talc 



powder. Some of the prepara- 

 tions for transplants were in 

 tablet form, to be dissolved in 

 water before treating the roots. 



Commercial preparations test- 

 ed were "Seed-Aid." "Rootone," 

 Thompson's "Pree-plant," 

 Thompson's "Ree-root," "Trans- 

 plantone." The last two were 

 chiefly for treating transplanted 

 seedlings. Along with these 

 there were tested untreated seeds 

 and seedlings for control, and 

 seeds treated with dilute solu- 

 tions of pure compounds such as 

 naphthalene acetamide and levu- 

 linic acid. 



The seeds tested were: kidney 

 beans, lettuce, Swiss chard, radish, nasturtium, and potato seed tubers. 

 Tomato seedlings w^ere treated with one preparation in comparison to 

 controls treated with an ordinary starter solution made by dissolving com- 

 mercial fertilizer in water. 



Results showed no advantage for any treatment. In one or two 

 instances early growth was stimulated, especially with low concentrations 

 of naphthalene acetamide, but the other plants subsequently caught up to 

 them. The plants treated with starter solution outgrew those treated with 

 "Transplantone," as shown in the photograph. 



Stuart Dunn 



Fig. 4. Tomato seedings treated with 



starter solution, in comparison with 



"transplantone" at weekly intervals 



Varieties of Fruits and Vegetables for Home Preservation 



For two successive summers. Pathfinder, Narcissa, and Dresden have 

 ranked high in desirability when several varieties of strawberries have 

 been judged by a scoring panel. Texture, color, shape, and flavor were 

 qualities considered. The Dresden, Catskill, Pathfinder, and Narcissa 

 berries were judged to be excellent for preservation by home freezing. 

 Frozen strawberries which were left whole and frozen with sugar or witli 



