THE TOMATO. 221 



it is produced in large quantities. It is a strange fact 

 that,, in Sicily, the tomato, when ripe, becomes sour and 

 so unfit for use that the island has to be supplied from 

 the vicinity of Naples on the neighboring mainland. 



Like all vegetables, grown on such an extensive scale, 

 and so well adapted for transportation to distant markets, 

 the prices the tomato commands are very variable. The 

 farm-gardeners on Long Island and other points in the 

 vicinity of New York rarely receive better prices than 

 from twenty-five cents to one dollar per bushel, while 

 fine stock arriving early on a bare market, has occasion- 

 ally brought very high prices. Thus, some years ago, I 

 received sixteen dollars per bushel-crate in Baltimore 

 (at the rate of eight cents each), and in Boston and Balti- 

 more, which are the best markets for this vegetable, I 

 have frequently received eight and ten dollars per bushel- 

 crate. Now that Florida anticipates more Northern 

 localities in shipping tomatoes (though very frequently 

 of inferior quality, sufficient care not having been paid 

 to assorting and packing), these prices are past. The 

 returns no\v range between one dollar and fifty cents and 

 five dollars per crate, according to the length of the ship- 

 ping season. The yield is from one hundred to two hun- 

 dred crates per acre. At the North, where five thousand 

 plants are required to the acre, and where the bearing 

 and picking season is longer, four hundred bushels are 

 obtainable. 



VARIETIES. 



The great number of varieties enumerated in seed cata- 

 logues has only interest for the amateur. JThere is little 

 or no difference in the time of maturing the fruit, what- 

 ever claim may be made in the advertisements. This is 

 probably owing to the neglect to "save seed repeatedly from 

 the choicest and earliest fruit. A good market variety 

 should be of medium size, round and smooth, with few 



