140 



Garden and Forest. 



[Number 213. 



varieties from the seed houses of Landretli, Dreer, Thorburn 

 and otliers. In March the seeds were examined and careful 

 weights taken of one hundred seeds of each variety. It ap- 

 pears from the tables that in nearly all the varieties of Toma- 

 toes and Radishes mentioned the station-grown seeds were 

 heavier than those from the seed houses, while those of the 

 Lettuces in the majority of cases were lighter. Following this 

 examination a test of the germinative values was made by put- 

 ting one hundred seeds of each variety in the germinators. 

 These results, given in the tables under the heading ' percent, 

 sprouted,' are slightly in favor of the station seeds in case of 

 Radishes, but against them in that of the Tomatoes." 



The tables referred to contain all the observations made ' 

 upon the plants during the growing season. It did not seem 

 wise to draw conclusions from the records of one season, 

 knowing how variable individuals are apt to be. The strong- 

 est indications of the tables were noted at that time as follows : 

 " (l) The station seeds were, as a rule, heavier than the pur- 

 chased seeds. (2) The weight was no indication of the germi- 

 native value of the seeds. (3) In the majority of cases the 

 earlier marketable products were obtained from purchased 

 seeds. (4) The greater yield, with but few exceptions, was ob- 

 tained from purchased seeds. (5) Lettuce from purchased 

 seeds produced heads that did not shoot up to flower as early 

 as the plants from station seeds. (6) Radishes from purchased 

 seeds were larger, more tender and more uniform than those 

 from station seeds. (7) On the whole the results are strongly 

 in favor of seeds from good soil, however rich that may 

 be." 



Some of these indications have been so strongly corrobo- 

 rated by subsequent investigations that we are tempted to 

 name them conclusions. The germinative value of the seeds 

 was generally higher with the station-grown seeds as tested in 

 the germinators, but as many germinating seeds fail to vege- 

 tate in the soil, an experiment was made to test the relative 

 values as to this point last year. It will suffice here to give the 

 figures of the Tomatoes only, as they are emphatic on this 

 point, and their behavior throughout is to be preferred in this 

 discussion, since we must consider individual plants. The ul- 

 timate regard of the Radish is for the root, and of the Lettuce 

 is for the head, while of the Tomato it is for the fruit, thereby 

 implicating both root and stem in the production of the fruit. 

 The following figures show that, with but two exceptions, tlie 

 station seeds possessed the highest vegetative power. Seeds 

 were sown in shallow boxes filled with good soil March 14th, 

 and again March 25th of the following varieties of Tomatoes, 

 using one hundred seeds of each variety, and noting carefully 

 all that developed into good plantlets : 



TOMATOES. 



March 14th. ^ 



March 25th. 



Landreth. 



Station. 



Landreth. 



Station. 





41 

 30 



V 



20 

 45 

 21 



=5 



so 



25 



36 



60 



3o 



37 

 21 



3S 



ID 

 20 







40 

 48 



Livingston's Beauty 



" Perfection. ..''.... 

 Mikado 



Troon V 



so 





These figures are, indeed, very much one-sided, but they 

 concern a point of no serious moment to either the gardener 

 or farmer. Seeds are cheap, and he can afford to sow three 

 or four seeds to get one plant. Success in growing small 

 plants from seeds depends largely upon the kind of care they 

 receive. Thus would he dismiss the question. But what 

 about the yield of marketable fruit ? The third indication was 

 strongly emphasized in the results of 1890 and 1891 — namely, 

 that " in the majority of cases the earlier marketable products 

 were obtained from purchased seeds." The plants were all 

 treated alike, in the hot-bed and in the field ; yet, with but few 

 exceptions, those from purchased seeds each year blossomed 

 earlier by several days. In 1890 six out of seven parallels of 

 as many varieties ripened earlier fruit by several days on plants 

 from purchased seeds, and in 1891 five out of seven parallels 

 indicate a similar result. Earliness is a matter of great moment 

 to the market-gardener, because of the better prices obtained 

 for first fruits. 



A most peculiar coincidence lies in the fact that in almost 

 every instance the heavier yield is associated with the later- 

 appearing fruit, and is almost always with the plants from sta- 

 tion-grown seeds. Thus : 



Golden Trophy — Purchased seed, first ripe fruit July 30th ; total 

 yield of three plants up to time of frost, 11,143 grammes. 



Golden Trophy — Station seeds, first fruit August 5th ; total 



yield, 14,809 grammes. 

 Livingston's Perfection — Purchased seed, first fruit July 27th ; 



total yield, 19,255 grammes. 

 Livingston's Perfection — Station seed, first fruit August 7th ; 

 total yield, 29,170 grammes. 



In point of yield, therefore, the above figures (which are 

 only representative cases from records) rather tend to favor- 

 ing station-grown seeds, although the reverse seems to have 

 been the indication for the first year. In a careful comparison 

 of individual fruits it was found that the tomatoes from sta- 

 tion seed attained a greater average weight and size and were 

 generally possessed of thicker walls and more flesh through- 

 out. 



It should be added that the seeds used in every year of this 

 experiment were taken from the original packages. There- 

 fore the influence of climate upon the production of the seed 

 is practically a fixed quantity, and the ages of the seeds remain 

 relatively the same. 



Thus far in the experiment two important conclusions seem 

 to be strongly warranted by facts and figures regarding 

 tomatoes : 



1. Plants from purchased seeds yield earlier fruit than those 

 from home-grown seeds. 



2. Plants from home-grown seeds produce more abun- 

 dantly than those from purchased seeds. „ „ 



State College, Pa. (jreO. C. Buts. 



The Greenhouse Under Trial. 



'XlT'HEN arranging the greenhouse, the details of which were 

 ' '' given in this journal (vol. v., p. 6), there was some doubt 

 as to whether the two sections could be preserved in practical 

 independence. It will be remembered that the design was to 

 provide an intermediate house with a temperature of fifty de- 

 grees, and a cool section with a temperature of thirty-five to 

 forty degrees, united under the same roof and partly open to 

 each other. To provide comfortable quarters for a variety 

 of plants is always a problem to the amateur whose taste takes 

 anything like a free range. The greenhouse-plants are not 

 especially difficult to arrange, for even in a small house one 

 can usually find a suitable place for tender ones, but to ar- 

 range for those which must be wintered at a low tempera- 

 ture ranging to just above the frost-line is not so easily man- 

 aged. 'The warm section has been rather improved by the 

 change, being made more airy, while the temperature at night 

 has been readily kept at from fifty to sixty degrees. When the 

 north wall has been raised about three feet and steps have taken 

 the place of the present north bench, I cannot at present see how 

 any further arrangement could add available plant-room in the 

 space. The annex has shown more vagaries of temperature, 

 as this has been more influenced by outside weather, but 

 during cold nights there is usually an extreme difference of 

 twenty degrees in the two sections. The cool end of the an- 

 nex is usually forty degrees and under, and the thermometer 

 has often registered thirty-two degrees there. 



This has been a good place to store Auriculas and other 

 plants which should be kept nearly or quite dormant. As a 

 matter of fact, this end was full of dormant plants, while 

 within a dozen feet Cattleyas were brought into bloom ; this, 

 it will be remembered, with no partition between. The differ- 

 ence of elevation will, of course, account for a large portion 

 of difference in temperature of the unheated section. As the 

 door of the furnace-room is opened at night the end nearest 

 this is the warmest, but this warmth does not make much im- 

 pression on the solid bed. This bed is on the level of the 

 garden, and the water from outside works up from below, 

 keeping it cool, so that Carnations, Roses and Pansies planted 

 out have made very little progress. Unless some arrangement 

 was made for draining this bed thoroughly or for keeping the 

 water out, it would probably become sour and unfit for 

 use for planting out, and it would be better in any event to 

 use it as a bed for plunging plants in pots. Pansies, Violets 

 and Carnations, in pots, would be happy there. It has proved 

 a capital cool bottom on which to stand pots of bulbs to come 

 forward gradually, the flowers from these being much better 

 and more lasting than if brought forward in more warmth. 

 Some slielves near the sash furnish convenient places to 

 arrange the pots when plants are in flower, or to store those 

 which are averse to moisture. The bed being very wide the 

 outer edge is used for the storage of Chrysanthemums whicli 

 have come on slowly. At present a few Genistas, Azaleas and 

 Easter Lilies, in pots, are slowly making ready to expand their 

 flowers for the Easter-season. These latter, however, require 

 rather more heat, and, after being well started, are properly 

 brought forward in the warmer house. 



