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EXFERIEXCES WITH TOMATOES. 



(Boston Market). This, sown in January, can be set out 

 in hot-beds in February ; in February, seed of lettuce 

 intended for growing early out of doors is sown. For 

 this latter sowing I use White-seeded Tennis Ball, Maule's 

 Hanson, Burpee's Hard Head, Henderson's New York, 

 Tomhannock, Oak-leaved. These make a good succes- 

 sion till July 15, by sowing the seed at short intervals 

 within thirty days, and in the order given. Another 

 good combination is Burpee's Hard Head, Hanson, Bos- 

 ton Curled, Perpetual, Burpee's Midsummer. Both 

 these lists give texture, color, size and form in lettuce in 

 a way to suit a variety of tastes. Another list, and a good 

 one, is Boston Market, Deacon, Simpson, Grand Rapids, 

 Curled India. 



White-seeded Tennis Ball is good for forcing, and 

 Grand Rapids is one of the best. In out-door culture, 

 the Black-seeded Tennis Ball is apt to be darker leaved 

 and poorer quality ; it heads evenly and all at once, and 

 must be cut as soon as the heads are formed, for if not, 

 the heads open, showing the seed stalk, and are then un- 

 fit for sale. Maule's Hanson is the best strain of that 

 variety of lettuce I have found ; for two years I have had 

 many single heads weighing three pounds apiece. It is 

 very sure to head and has few sports, while the period 

 of cutting extends over three weeks. Burpee's Hard 

 Head is similar in form to Tennis Ball, but having red 

 and green on the outer leaves, the heart being yellow ; 

 remains two weeks in condition to market, endures heat 

 well, and is a sure header. Henderson's New York is 

 large, strong growing, dark leaved, standing summer heat 



well, the leaf being rather thick and tough for an early 

 lettuce. It has a very large head, and remains a long 

 time fit to cut. 



Tomhannock I have used for a hot weather lettuce in 

 July, with good success. Leaves upright, tender, large, 

 red and yellow ; very satisfactory to some buyers ; not 

 a hard head. Oak-leaved is one of the best for hot 

 weather lettuce, remaining edible for a long time, as it 

 does not run up to seed readily ; the form of the leaves 

 is peculiar ; there is no head, only compact leaves ; the 

 color is lemon yellow. Perpetual is a good tender sum- 

 mer lettuce, not running to seed rapidly, but having little 

 or no head. Burpee's Midsummer is quite brown in cool 

 sp/ing weather, but under high summer heat it bleaches 

 to a golden yellow heart, and makes a large good head. 

 Deacon is a remarkably large, compact head, strong 

 growing ; fit for either spring or summer, but it is thick 

 leaved, and consequently neglected in the market when 

 soft-leaved or more tender lettuce is offered. Grand 

 Rapids lettuce, after two seasons' trial, proves a good all 

 round lettuce, growing in heat or cold, and making light 

 colored, tender, soft heads, being specially valuable for 

 forcing. Boston Curled, Curled India, Simpson, Han- 

 son, are all old forms of lettuce, and are good, but are 

 now, I believe, superseded by other kinds which are 

 better. This list seems to me to contain all the best va- 

 rieties, so far as tried. They, in turn, may be super-' 

 seded by better kinds, but for this season, these will be 

 found excellent. W. H. Bull. 



Hampden Co., Ji/nss. 



EXPERIENCES WITH TOMATOES. 



RESULTS OF A LARGE E.XPERIMENT. 



As most things can be judged only by comparison, 

 I was led last spring to obtain all varieties of toma- 

 toes. In many cases it was found that the so- 

 called new varieties were only new names for old 

 friends. After much correspondence and inquiry, 

 there was obtained what were presumably eighty 

 varieties. Some varieties at maturity could not be 

 distinguished from those obtained from other par- 

 ties under different names, and in many cases the 

 fruit, when shown all together, might not be easily 

 distinguished, but the same while growing, in habit, 

 bearing, quality, flavor and solidity were readily 

 separated. 



My experience in growing tomatoes has been that we 

 get the earliest fruit on light soil with but little manure ; 

 the crop will be less and sooner over, although the first 

 few pickings for market may bring a price that will over- 

 balance the larger crop which may be raised on heavier 

 and highly manured soil. For marketing, two plantings 

 are usually made, one as early as can safely be done in 

 frames, the other in open ground. I have had success 

 and failure by planting directly in the hill where the 

 plants are to grow. The last way is precarious, on ac- 



count of the black flea-beetle destroying the young 

 plants, and one may lose the whole crop in a couple of 

 hot days before he is aware the little nuisance is around. 



In setting out plants, a cloudy day is preferable, when 

 the ground is fairly damp, but not wet. Let the roots 

 be grouted or "puddled" in a mixture of good, rich, 

 fine dirt, stirred in water until it will adhere to the roots. 

 It is always preferable to have the plants stocky and to 

 transplant in the frames, but that requires room. Al- 

 though some of our Station bulletins have said that a 

 " leggy " tomato plant is of little use, I must differ from 

 them, if I am allowed to set the plants. Such plants 

 are not to be planted the ordinary manner, for they will 

 surely be scalded by the first sun ; but put the roots at 

 the side of the hill and bury the stalk to the top leaves. 

 In a few days the whole stalk will be a mass of roots, 

 and the plant will grow vigorously and will do equally 

 well with plants that are more stocky. To be sure, it is a 

 little more work to set such plants, but it will pay to 

 take a little more time if the plants have become drawn 

 In transplanting I always use a mason's pointing-trowel. 

 The plants are either dropped ahead of the setter or he 

 takes a handful in his left hand. The trowel is thrust 

 in and a pull towards the setter opens the ground ; at the 



