New Vegetables. 99 



cooked, and exceeding mild and delicate. As a shelled bean, green or 

 ripe, it has no particular merit. 



There are, however, few if any varieties of running beans, now in the 

 catalogues of our seedsmen, superior to this for stringing ; and there are 

 probably few more productive. As a market-bean, it promises to be one 

 of the best, and will soon come into general cultivation ; but it must not 

 be classed as an early variety, and, in the Northern States, should have the 

 advantage of the whole season. The ripe seeds are red, and of medium 

 size. 



TiLDEN Tomato- — Seeds of this variety were received from Mr. Henry 

 Tilden of Davenport, lo., with whom it originated. The plants grew vigor- 

 ously, and yielded abundantly. The fruit, which varied in form from round 

 to oval, was of good size, smooth, and handsome, and contained but few 

 seeds. The only deficiency appeared to be its lack of solidity ; which I 

 attribute either to the influence of the season, or to the cool and somewhat 

 wet soil in which the plants were grown. When compared with other 

 varieties, the marks of distinction in foliage, and habit of growth, were less 

 prominent than I had supposed. 



Many varieties of the tomato exist only in name ; but, however distinct, 

 constant care is requisite to preserve them in a pure condition. So liable 

 are they to change and intermix, that it would be safe to predict, that of 

 the list now in cultivation, including more than twenty described sorts, 

 not one fourth will appear in the catalogues of our seedsmen ten years to 

 come. 



Fruit that is ribbed and irregular, however large, is not only less attrac- 

 tive, but really less economical, than that of an opposite character. The 

 properties of a good tomato are medium size, perfect smoothness, a clear 

 bright color (pink or red preferred), solidity, and the absence of many 

 seeds in the pulp ; and these qualities will be found in a greater or less de- 

 gree in the Tilden, the cook's favorite, the improved apple-shaped, and the 

 round or smooth red. Many of the kinds described as being " early " or 

 *' extra early " have all the smoothness and solidity of the foregoing ; but 

 they are deficient in size, and generally less productive. 



Potatoes. — The history of this vegetable shows, that, up to the present 

 time, there have been catalogued and described nearly seven hundred va- 



