THE TOMATO FOR EXPORT. 



Sir, — I have read in " American 

 Gardening " a condensed report of the 

 proceedings of the late meeting of your 

 Fruit Growers' Association. I observe 

 that the export of tomatoes to Great 

 Britain by your people in 1898 was not 

 yet quite satisfactory, chiefly owing to 

 the size of the fruit. Allow me to make 

 a suggestion that may be helpful to you, 

 and through you to your friends at 

 Grimsby, Winona and Burlington, who 

 are taking the lead in the export of 

 fruits. It is, that at least two or three 

 of your friends at each of these points 

 make a small trial planting of Living- 

 ston's " Honor Bright " tomato. It is 

 one of Livingston's latest introductions 

 in the tomato line, and is a quite dis- 

 tinct variety. The description of it, to 

 be found in Livingston's catalogue, is a 

 fair and accurate one as it grows here. 

 The habit of growth of the plant is 

 almost precisely what Mitchell, of St. 

 Mary's, recommends as the best for 

 Northern latitudes, a flat, spreading 

 growth. It is medium early. The fruit 

 is of good quality, not superior to 

 Ignotum, perhaps scarcely up to it, but 

 good, better than many others. The 

 features of the fruit that lead me to 

 think that it will give satisfaction in 



the export business are, medium size, 

 smoothness, freedom from crack or rot, 

 toughness of skin (skin is of a thin, 

 silky texture), and an apparent capacity 

 for ripening after being gathered from 

 the vine at the proper stage, and with- 

 out deteriorating in quality, while it is 

 ripening in the dark, or wrapped in 

 paper. The fruit changes in color as it 

 grows and approaches maturity just as 

 the description narrates. Last season I 

 gathered some fruits at the "waxy- 

 white " stage, wrapped them in paper, 

 and placed them on a shelf in a rather 

 warm, probably 6o°, compartment of 

 my cellar. In ten days the fruits were 

 a deep red and in fine condition. My 

 gardening operations are for the present 

 confined to the back yard of a city lot, 

 and my experience with " Honor 

 Bright " is confined to that, with three 

 plants. My very little experience was 

 so satisfactory, and my enquiries about 

 the variety gave me such good reports, 

 that I have confidence in recommend- 

 ing your friends to make small trial 

 plantings of it, with a view to adopting 

 it in the near future as a standard 

 variety for export. 



J. Cavers. 

 pj West Second Ave., Columbus, O. 



HOW TO KILL THE LEAF HOPPER. 



Leaf Hopper ; Thrip and Erythroneura 

 Vitis are all different names for one 

 small insect, which is often very num- 

 erous on grape vines during the summer. 



It is about an eighth of an inch long, 

 of a light color, and marked by three 

 dark red bands. They fly from their 

 position on the under side of the leaves 

 when the vines are shaken and soon 

 light again. 



To combat them in the summer when 

 their destructive work is noticeable is 

 difficult. Now is the time. They may 

 be found under the leaves near the 

 vines. If the vineyard is cleaned of all 

 litter and this promptly burned, many 

 will be destroyed. The insects remain- 

 ing on the ground can be killed by a 

 spray of coal oil emulsion. — Kansas 

 Bulletin. 



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