AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 89 



The total average product was in direct proportion to the 

 earliness of setting. The relative eaiiiness was also observed to 

 follow the same order. 



The total product of the five plants for the month of August 



was respectively : 



Number of Weight. 



fruits. lbs. 



a 31 8.5 



6 25 7.4 



c 14 4.2 



The season was exceptionally long, but even so late as Sep- 

 tember 30, the earlier plants maintained their superiority. The 

 last two pickings, Sept. 26 and 30, gave the following results : 



Number of Weight. 



fruits. 



a 163 



b 118 



c 67 



Conclusions : On warm, sandy soil, the earliness and product- 

 iveness of tomatoes was in direct ratio to the earliness of setting 

 in the field. 



A chill, and even a slight cutting by frost is not as fatal to 

 success as is commonly supposed. 



It is well, in practice, to set some plants in the field early in 

 the season, holding others in reserve to replace the first if killed 

 by frost. 



3. Effects of Trimming Tomatoes: "With a view to applying 

 the principle that "checking growth induces fruitfulness," to the 

 culture of tomatoes, several varieties were operated upon in 1890. 

 The results, as a rule, indicated that trimming the vines is a profi- 

 table method of inducing earliness, and consequently of increas- 

 ing the portion of the crop available. The total increase in the 

 number of fruits ranged from 5.5 per cent, to 47.6 per cent. 



During the past season the trial was repeated. Plants of Per- 

 fection and CJiemin Market were used iu the test. Twelve plants 

 of the former and five of the latter were headed back July "24, 

 Aug. 8, and Sept. 5. At each trimming the leading branches 

 were shortened about six inches, and most of the side shoots 

 below the first clusters of fruit, were removed, the others being 



