NOTES ON TOMATO BREEDING 25 



carelessness in selection that our varieties of tomatoes as a 

 whole are so comparatively short-lived. 



Tillao-e, fertilization, and other treatment of plants have their 

 effect upon tomato breeding. Poor soils and insufficient culti- 

 vation tend to revert the variety. 



Keeping quality evidently has not been generally taken into 

 consideration, up to the present time, in breeding the tomato. 

 Experiments at the Cornell, New York, station go to show that 

 solid varieties may not be the best keepers. 



Hvbridizing between the larger varieties and the clustered, 

 or currant tomatoes, generally results in producing fruit inter- 

 mediate in size. 



Crosses between the large or potato-leafed and common- 

 leafed varieties usually result in an intermediate foliage. 



The red varieties seem to have the power to stamp their 

 color on the offspring of crosses with other colors. 



Varieties of tomatoes mix very readily when grown in the 

 same field. Pure seed should be selected from isolated varieties. 



The tomato, as with other crops, needs a rotation. The 

 plants grown on the same land from year to year, although 

 highly fertilized, naturally degenerate in time. 



In order to secure results from crossing the tomato, one can- 

 not be too well acquainted with the parent varieties, nor have 

 too clearly defined plans of procedure. Haphazard crossing is 

 of little value. 



When the parents are very different in character, the chances 

 are that the offspring will be weak, while the offspring of 

 closely related species or races is likely to be very vigorous. 



ORIGIN OF TOMATOES 



The evolution of our cultivated tomatoes is interesting. The 

 two species from whicli all our garden varieties have originated 

 are Lycopersicufn pimpbtelllfoliitm and Lycopei-siciim escu- 

 le?ttum. The former includes the " Currant" varieties, which 

 are small and borne in large clusters, sometimes spoken of as 

 the "Raisin" tomatoes. This species is a South American 

 variety, and is found growing wild in both Brazil and Peru. 

 Although known for some time, comparatively little use has 

 been made of them, except for pickles, preserves, and for orna- 

 mentation. 



