88 MAINE STATE COLLEGE 



Frequent "handling" or transplanting, is found to be the best 

 method of securing strong, stocky, well developed plants. Some 

 of tbe best cultivators combat this idea, but in our own experi- 

 ence the transplanting has been found beneficial. The prac- 

 tice of the writer is to sow the seed in ;t flats," — shallow boxes 

 about 16 by 24 inches and 3 inches deep — about the first of April. 

 TThen the first true leaves have nicely started, or as soon as the 

 plants begin to crowd, they are transferred to 2-inch rose pots. 

 As the pots are so small, we usually plunge them in sphagnum to 

 prevent too great extremes of moisture. As soon as the pots are 

 well filled with roots — usually in two or three weeks — the plants 

 are re-potted into 3-inch or 3 1-2-inch pots. Later they are again 

 handled into 4-inch pots and given an abundance of room ; being 

 finally transferred to the open ground, from the first to the middle 

 of June. If short of pots, we sometimes handle the plants in flats 

 until they are ready for the final transfer. In this case they are 

 usually placed about two inches apart each- way at tbe first 

 handling, and four or five at the second. By this treatment the 

 roots are confined to a comparatively small space, and the plants 

 suffer less severely when planted out. The plants are set in the 

 field in rows five feet apart each way. and the L Itivatoi is 



used freely. 



2. Effect of Early Setting : It is commonly held that tomato 

 plants should not be set out in the field till the cool nights of early 

 summer are past — certainly not before the middle of June. The- 

 results of an experiment conducted last year, however, indicated 

 that earlier setting was at least not detrimental, and might be 

 beneficial.* 



To test the matter further, fifteen plants of Perfection, as 

 nearly alike as possible, were selected and given the same treat- 

 ment while In the house. Five plants were set in the field on- 

 sandy loam having a southern aspect, May 18. Five more were 

 placed by the side of these May 30, and the other five were set 

 next to them June 8, when the main crop was planted out. Plants 

 set May 18 and May 30 were injured by frost Ms y 31. 



The results were as follows : 



Average number fruits per plant 



Average weight of product, in pounds. 

 Average weight per fruit, in ounces • • • • 



a. 



b. 



c. 



v B. 



Mav 30. 



June B. 



47.0 



33-0 



_ - 



16.1 



12.4 



6.9 



5.4 



5.9 



5.6 



* Bulletin XXI Cornell University Experiment Station. 



