40 



A NEW JAPANESE FRUIT. 



as it did fifteen years ago, I am free to admit, Why ? 

 Simply because of carelessness in selection for seed pur- 

 poses. The desire of some in the seed trade is to get 

 seed as cheap as they can, rather than as good as they 

 can. If I were asked the cause of deterioration in this 

 variety, I should say, unquestionably, "Five cents a 

 packet.'' Some wholesale dealers are quoting this seed 

 at less than half the price it can be grown for, if the 

 grower is faithful to his trust. 



Culture. — The cultural instructions as adopted at 

 the college of agriculture, commend themselves to the 

 attention of all horticulturists. They are concise and 

 complete. It is well, however, to say that we have seen 

 the best results from such plants as are considered not 

 ^A■orth setting at the college, "tall weak plants with a 

 blossom on the top." In setting such, however, it is best 

 to bend the plant down and cover it with soil to the 

 depth of an inch, excepting about four inches of the top ; 

 the plant will then throw out roots the entire length of 

 the underground portion, and make a rapid, vigorous, 

 growth ; when, if the lank stem is left above ground, the 

 plant will, apparently, grow smaller for two or three 

 ■weeks after setting. C. L. Ai.len. 



[Note. — The yields quoted of tomatoes at Ithaca were 

 the yields of certain plants selected for experiment, and 

 the best one is by no means the highest yield secured 

 from tomato plants upon the University garden this 

 year. Yet yields have not been heavy this year, owing 

 to the bad season. The experience with the Trophy in- 

 dicates that careful breeding has bred a new variet}- 



from the old stock, and it thus appears to corroborate 

 the point made in the bulletin, that varieties are unstable. 



There is no doubt that variation in soil, season, stock 

 and treatment have much to do with immediate variation 

 in the tomato. In this connection, it will be instructive 

 to insert the following comment upon this portion of the 

 bulletin, from the Rural New-Yorker : 



" To show the same tomato will vary in different soils 

 and under different treatment let us compare a few of 

 Prof. Bailey's reports with our own. He says that the 

 Haines (No. 64 from Northrup, Braslan & Goodwin) 

 is too irregular. We found it fully as regular as Igno- 

 tum. Prof. Bailey considers that " regularity of shape " 

 is one of its "particular points of superiority." In other 

 respects the two reports agree. 



"Our report of the Shah (Henderson) and Prof. 

 Bailey's are alike. It has no value. The fact of its be- 

 ing the first yello-v with potato-leaf foilage is simply 

 worthy of note. Our own tomatoes, however, were not 

 all )'ellovv. Some were reddish, others orange color. 



" Lorillard (Henderson) at the Rural Grounds was 

 not only very regular and productive, but there seemed 

 no reason for designating it as not valuable as a market 

 variety, as Prof. Bailey does. 



"McCullom's Hybrid with him was a 'second early.' 

 With the A'. A\-V. it was late. Bay State (Bragg) was 

 also late and of no notable value Prof. B. estimates it 

 as 'one of the best recent introductions.' 



As to Prelude, both reports agree The tomatoes are 

 rather small, but regular in shape, very early and pro- 

 ductive." — Ed. Am. G.] 



A NEW JAPANESE FRUIT. 



Japanese fruits are attracting considerable at- 

 tention from American growers, especially on the 

 Pacific coast. Our illustration (page 13) s'hows a 

 branch of Alyrica rubra, an evergreen fruit- bearing 

 tree from Japan, imported by H. H. Berger, of 

 California, who says : "As this branch had to be 

 carried a long distance before reaching Kioto, where 

 the photograph was taken, a great many of the 

 fruits dropped off, and therefore the branch does 

 not quite show the very prolific bearing qualities of 

 the tree." 



The Mpica rubra is a native of the southern 

 parts of Japan. It attains a height of forty to 

 fifty feet and a diameter of two and one-half to 

 three feet. The evergreen foliage resembles that 

 of the magnolia. The fruit resembles the black- 

 berry, and is about an inch long by three-quarters 

 of an inch in diameter. There are two varieties of 

 this fruit : one a dark red, almost black ; the other a 

 light rose, which in flavor is superior to the other 

 sort. The fruit of each is said to be delicious as a 



dessert fruit or for making preserves. It is highly 

 flavored, vinous and sweet. 



The tree is very ornamental, and the timber is 

 used in Japan for the making of the finest cabinet- 

 ware, the wood being light, tough and very durable. 

 The tree is hardy only in latitudes where the ther- 

 moineter does not fall below 15 degrees above zero, 

 say from lower Virginia southward. Mr. Berger 

 writes that "there is no doubt but that the tree 

 will be a valuable acquisition to the southern states. 

 Unfortunately its nature does not admit of planting 

 out in cold climates. It is well adapted, however, 

 to pot culture and might be made to yield well 

 under glass. Plants are not yet obtainable, as 

 the Japanese have never propagated the tree be- 

 yond the chance seedlings." 



The propagation of this species is best accom- 

 plished from seed, to which it comes true, or by 

 grafting scions from a fruit -bearing tree on seedlings. 

 We understand that fresh seed is obtainable now, 

 but only in small quantities. 



