1888 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



49 



the grass is closely clipped, nnd cheery maples 

 stand around. Vines are entwining the old-timed 

 veranda. There is a windmill with a tank just 

 back of the house. This is the reason that you see 

 a sparkling jet with dripjiing rocks and a continn 

 ous spray fallin?- i;pon the water-plants. Minnows 

 glisten in the clear water, and seem to be on 

 friendly terms wiih some children playing near. 

 The grass is kept green, although all around is 

 scorched by the heat. The w.aste water is tiled to a 

 watering trough down in the barnyard. The 

 trough projects through the fence to the high- 

 way, sufficiently to allow the passers-by to freely 

 satisfy their thirsty steeds. I tell you, Mr. Root, 

 this place almost seemed to me like " the shadow 

 of a great rock in a weary land." 



Keep the lawn clipped when it needs it, whether 

 it requires it twice a week or twice a month. 

 Much more could be written, but I think if these 

 simple directions are carried out one can not fail to 

 have a neat and tasteful lawn; and having gone 

 this far, personal taste may be exercised in making 

 flower-beds, planting shrubbery, etc. .J. K. D. 



Jamestown, O., Dec. 15, 1S87. 



IMPROVING GARDEN VEGETABLES 

 BY SICLECTION. 



THK MIKADO TOMATO. 



fUlENn HOOT:— Ynn and I lioncstiy differ as 

 to the value of this variety; Imt fi'om our 

 own standpoints we are doubtless both 

 right. In this and many other markets, 

 the Mikado would he almost unsalable. 

 When good sinoolh tomatoes were selling at 30 

 cents, wp managed to sell a few ol iho Mikado 

 and olhei' rough-fruited sorts at live cents per 

 bushel; and what could not be sold rotted, for 

 no one wanted them badly enough to take them 

 as a gift. Tt is easy enough to see, however, that it 

 might be valuable in your and other markets, 

 where it could be sold. 



The Turner Hybrid, which is thought by some to 

 be identical with the Mikado, is, I think, much 

 superior to it, in the fact that the fruit is not so 

 rough. Both may be improved by careful selec- 

 tion; but it is my opinion that it will be found to be 

 impossible to " breed out the wrinkles." This has 

 been tried with theTrophy, Canada Victor, and other 

 varieties; but, so far as I know.it has been only 

 partially successful. Mr. Livingston, who has 

 spent many years in improving the tomato, thinks 

 that it is a waste of time to work with rough-fruited 

 sorts, as he tried it for a long time and then gave it 

 up. Your method will result in one good; viz., you 

 will i)romote earliness by selecting the best and 

 earliest fruit, and at the same time will make .some 

 improvement in its appearance. As a general thing, 

 I would not advise those who use but a small quan- 

 tity of seed to grow it themselves, as seed-growing 

 is a business that requires much S])ecial knowledge. 

 The tomato is an exception to the rule, however. 

 Much of the tomato-seed sold is bought of canners 

 who, of course, are not careful to gave it from the 

 first ripe fruit, nor from the finest specimens. To 

 compete with this seed, those who grow the crop 

 for the seed alone are obliged to follow the same 

 careless methods; hence there is but little first-class 

 tomato-seed in the market. With most vegetables, 

 the small grower would find the proneness of vari- 



eties to cross quite an obstacle; but as varieties of 

 tomatoes do not cross readily, he has no trouble in 

 keeping them pure. He need have no fear, at least, 

 that crosses will occur between a variety that he 

 is growing and those of his neighbors. It Is such an 

 easy matter to save tomato-seed from the earliest 

 and best sj>ecimens, that it will well repay any 

 gardener to attend to it himself. W. J. Green. 

 Columbus, O., Dec, '88T. 



Friend Green, your letter is, in some re- 

 spects, a good deal discouraging. By all 

 means, give us tiie truth, even though it be 

 discouraging. If we can not get rough to- 

 m:itoes smooth by selection, iiow in tlie 

 world can we do it V And if you can, please 

 tell us liow liiend Livingston oiiginated 

 liis Beatity and otlier tomatoes. It is true, 

 tlie Beauty is a smoother and handsomer to- 

 mato, litit witli tis it did not ripen nearly as 

 early. The tomatoes are not as iar^tt'. and 

 it does not l>egiti to produce the amount of 

 fruit that the Mikado does. Our ^Mikadtt 

 vines will give as many bushels of compara- 

 tively smooth and handsome tomatoes as 

 the Beauty, and tlien ever so many bushels 

 more of badly sliaped ones. Do you really 

 mean that good smooth tomatoes sold in 

 Columbus during the past year for the low 

 price of HO cts. a luishel, or are you speaking 

 of formei- years y For I sliall begin to feel 

 guilty if it transpires that nice tomatoes 

 were only .30 cts. in Columbus, while we 

 were getting $2 00 Jiere in Medina. Of 

 course, ours were retailed from house to 

 liouse. Now, it may be that I am talking of 

 Turner's Hybrid when I speak of the Mika- 

 do, for we raised plants from botli ; but 

 they look so nearly alike, and were pro- 

 nounced so nearly alike by many good 

 authorities, that we decided "to call them 

 one and the same tiling.* Now, to illustrate 

 what an important matter this is. and how 

 easily people may l)e led astray, 1 give you 

 the following from one of the readers of 

 Gleanings : 



Dear Friend:— \ should very much like to get a 

 small package of that selected tomato-seed; and 

 knowing that you did not wish to dispose of it, 1 will 

 otter you one dollar per I4 ounce for it. 



Frank B. Wild. 



Coopersville, Ottawa Co., Mich., Sept. ?;J, 1887. 

 I will send our friend one-fourth ounce 

 of the seed ; but after what you have said, 

 I should not think of charging him a dollar 

 for a quarter of an ounce. 



While at the Michigan Agricultural Col- 

 lege we were speaking of tomatoes and the 

 rot. Prof. Bailey interested me greatly by 

 saying that the pear tomatoes were, so far, 

 free from rot ; and when I at once suggest- 

 ed increasing their size by selection, he told 

 me it had been done, and that the tomato 

 advertised by Hawson and some others as 

 the King Humbert was nothingmore than a 

 large pear or plum tomato. Now, the pic- 

 ture of the King Humbert represents toma- 

 toes almost the shape of an egg,and as smooth 



*The way Maule procured his Turner's Hybrid, is 

 described in his price list as follows: "Last spring, 

 hearing of just half an ounce of seed taken from 

 selected specimens of the Turner Hybrid, all weigh- 

 ing over 1 lb., 1 paid $50 for jt, or at the rate of 

 $1600 per lb.'' 



