FRUIT AND GARDEN NOTES. 



605 



the renewal system, by cordon or fan, as indicated. The 

 vines have been sprayed the past two seasons, the older 

 ones possibly longer. All have been well cultivated 

 throughout the season. The old vines have been summer 

 pruned once ; the remainder have been pinched back 

 three times during the summer. In making the table, 

 the figures given for Goethe, Elvira and Concord are 

 averages of counts of a number of vines of each variety. 

 In all other cases one vine only is represented : 















Name. 



■H 



oj 





m P 















0 





D-. 



h' 











Spur 



Hybrid 



80 



43 



Very strong 



Elvira 



Riparia 



60 



I 



Stro'ng 









37 



14 



Very strong 



Ideal 



Fan 





63 

 18 



0 



Strong 





Cordon 



Labrusca 



I 



Very strong 











Fan 





60 



II 



Wyoming red 







7S 





Strong 













Pockliiigton .... 







20 





Moore Early 







14 



0 



Very strong 



Wordeu (small vine) 









0 



Hayes 







34 



0 



Strong 



Vergennes 







71 



3 



Very strong 









40 



I 



Strong 



Empire State 





Riparia 



35 



3 



Very strong 





Cordon 

 Fan 



Aestivalis 



55 

 72 



19 



45 







Labrusca 



9 







August Giant .... 





Hybrid 



49 



16 





Berckmann ... 





Riparia 



53 



I 



Strong 



Highland 



Cordon 



Hybrid 



24 



4 



Moderate 









60 



16 



Strong 



Ulster 



Cordon 



Labrusca 



25 





Moderate 





Fan 



Hybrid 



102 



0 



Very strong 



Early Victor .... 

 Brighton 





Labrusca 



61 





Moderate 





Hybrid 



32 



7 



Very strong 

 Moderate 









Mover 







24 



0 









Labrusca 







Weak 



Potter 







47 



0 



Very strong 





Cordon 





37 





Jefferson 



Fan 



Hybrid 



12 



0 



Strong 





Cordon 





43 



3 



Moderate 





Fan 





120 



I 



Very strong 



Poughkeepsie Red . . 







47 



3 



The figures given may be considered as indicating, 

 though not at all conclusively, the following points : (i) 

 The cordon (double arm) system of pruning shows less 

 rot than the fan system (with 3 to 5 canes). (2) The 

 labrusca varieties are less subject to rot than those of 

 hybrid derivation, the average being less than half as 

 much. (3) No species represented in the table is entirely 

 free from rot, though it has not yet developed in ten 

 varieties. These sorts may not be rot-proof, however, 

 as there is still plenty of time for the disease to develop 

 before the fruit ripens. (4) The age of vines has no 

 great influence one way or the other, or age has less in- 

 fluence than variety ; for, while Goethe is the worst, 

 Elvira is one of the least infected, both being aged vines. 

 (5) Vigorous growth is no preventive against rot. No 

 varieties in the collection are stronger growers than 

 Goethe, Centennial, Brighton, August Giant and 

 Diamond, yet these are among the sorts showing the 

 disease most. (6) Among the sorts which have not yet 

 shown the disease are some of the highest quality, as 

 Delaware and Lady, (7) The amount of the crop seems 

 to have no influence on rot. A very strong vine of 

 Moore Diamond, capable of maturing 50 bunches, is 

 bearing but nine bunches, four of which show rot. A 



fan-trained Jessica, plainly overloaded, shows but one 

 bunch with rot. In securing averages of Concord and 

 Goethe grapes, the same fact was observed. — Charles 

 A. Keffer, Missouri. 



TOMATO FORCING IN MASSACHUSETTS. 



For several years I have experimented in forcing toma- 

 toes. Beginning with five or six plants, I have gradu- 

 ally increased the number, until now I have as many as 

 my greenhouse will accommodate. With but one build- 

 ing for propagating bedding plants, sowing seeds and 

 transplanting seedlings in, I have been handicapped 

 somewhat in giving the different plants a "fair show," 

 because, as all know, some like a temperature of 70°, 

 while others prefer 50°. 



The house, a three-quarter span 15x32 feet, and 11 feet 

 high at the ridge, is built after the English style, with 

 one walk, benches on either side, and narrow slatted 

 shelves running from the rear bench to the top of the 

 back wall. The house has a southern aspect, and when 

 the sun shines it is difficult to keep the tomatoes moist 

 enough without watering through the day. This is espe- 

 cially the case with those grown in pots. The shelves 

 are but 10 inches wide, and it is impossible to use any but 

 very narrow boxes. 



Tomato seed is sown in flats the second week in 

 August. When 2>< inches high, the plants are set five 

 or six inches apart in other flats, where they grow until 

 they interfere with each other. I then transplant them 

 into four or five-inch pots, in which they remain until 

 blossoms are formed. 



From these pots I transplant tomatoes to 12-inch pots 

 or small boxes, allowing each one about 16 inches shelf- 

 space. I train tomato-plants to one stem fastened to a 

 strong manilla cord stretched from the rafters to the 

 edge of the shelf or box, and keep the side-shoots cut off, 

 going over them at least once a week. I take no pains to 

 fertilize the blossoms, as I find no trouble in getting the 

 fruit to set. Water is used freely in sprinkling the foli- 

 age, as the atmosphere is naturally dry. The soil used is 

 good garden loam, with some sand and a little well- 

 rotted manure. At fruiting-time I top-dress the soil with 

 more manure, and to plants in pots give, in addition, a 

 dose of liquid manure once or twice a week. I keep the 

 temperature at about 60° to 65° at night, and 80' to 85° 

 by day, with sunshine ; on cloudy days it is not so high. 

 All shoots pushed forth from the end of the blossom- 

 clusters are cut off. 



The kinds now growing in my house are Essex Hybrid 

 and Cardinal — varieties well known around Boston, but 

 not generally catalogued. With me Cardinal gives largest 

 tomatoes, but does not ripen so evenly at the stem as the 

 Essex. Plants from seed sown in August sometimes give 

 ripe tomatoes by December 15. 



I should like to get an expression of opinion from 

 other tomato-growers upon steam vs. hot water in heat- 

 ing such a house ; and whether houses running east and 

 west are preferable to those running north and south. — 

 Alfred G. Clarke, Massacliuscl ts . 



