EXPERIENCES WITH TO MA TOES. 



293 



same time the plant is put in and a slight pressure of the 

 foot firms the soil. With a little practice this is done 

 very rapidly, and to me it is much better and easier than 

 planting with a dibble. 



After this digression, I will give the results of my study 

 of varieties. There were planted the last week of March 

 in a house that had but little heat, eighty varieties of to- 

 matoes, a few kinds a few days later. When the first 

 four leaves had developed, all were pricked out in plots 

 spaced two inches apart, where they grew until the gth 

 of May. Two new varieties that were highly recom- 

 mended were put in the same time that the others were 

 set, in pots, to give them a better chance, and they made 

 a little more growth. All were set on the same day, the 

 gth of May. The ground was slightly rolling, a sandy 

 loam, one with sandy depression, and one quite heavy 

 loam. The sandy depression seemed to force the fruit, 

 and the latter to retard the ripening. 



Our past summer was one of successive rains and the 

 temperature was below the average. August was mostly 

 dry and rather hot. That seemed to crack many varie- 

 ties. September loth was opened with a five days' rain 

 and very high winds, blowing the plants about and whip- 

 ping the leaves almost off some of them. The day be- 

 fore the rain a small box of each kind was secured, and 

 placed on shelves in the barn to try their staying qual- 

 ities. It is certain that with drier weather difierent re- 

 sults would have been shown. To determine the longest 

 time fruit would keep, I should pick green fruit earlier 

 in the season, but fruit of each lot, in this case, was as 

 nearly alike in all respects as could be had. It is a note- 

 worthy fact that all of the purple or Acme color were 

 the first to rot. 



Horsford's Prcludd. — First blooms, June nth. First 

 ripe fruit, July 29th, 122 days from seed. Smooth, free 

 from cracks, quality good ; fruitful ; too small for general 

 market, but desirable as to earliness and long continu- 

 ance in bearing. Kept 12 days. 



Livingston's Potato Leaf. — Ripe in 134 days. Large 

 and solid, some wrinkled, cracked and yellow at stem, 

 badly rotted in rain ; productive. Kept 5 days 



Eayly Xc7o Jcrs,-y. — Ripe in 128 days. Bright crim- 

 son, a good bearer ; large, smooth, solid, and of good 

 quality ; cracked some in rain. Kept 7 days. 



Early Richmond. — Not desirable. Not early. 



Lmproved Yelloio. — Ripe in 128 days. Good bearer, 

 holding a long time ; a distinct orange color, mild and in- 

 sipid flavor ; no cracking. Kept 12 days. 



Ivory Ball []]'liite Apple). — Ripe August gth — 140 

 days. Small creamy white, mild flavor, great bearer 

 and the longest keeper of all. The rains had no effect 

 on it. Kept 34 days. Of no great value, but mentioned 

 here because of its great staying qualities. 



Extra Early Advance. — The same as Horsford's Pre- 

 lude, so far as I could see. 



Volunteer. — Ripe in 125 days. A heavy crop of fine, 

 bright colored fruit ; quality first-rate, solid ; bore a long 

 time, cracked a little in rain. Kept 19 days. 



Peach. — Ripe in 12S da) s. Small fruit, borne in great 



abundance and a long time. Has somewhat the color 

 and touch of the peach ; flavor mild and sweetish, but 

 no peach flavor. Of little value, except as a novelty ; 

 never cracks. Kept 14 days. 



Cliina.x. — Ripe in 125 days. Good bearer, smooth and 

 solid ; cracked but little until the long rain, when all 

 cracked and rotted, as all of the same color did. It kept 

 7 days, the longest of any of its color. 



Livingston s favorite. — Ripe in 128 days. Large, fine 

 fruit of red color, very smooth and fine ; cracked a little 

 at stem, bore a long time ; among the best. Kept 8 days. 



Livino-ston's Beauty. — Ripe in 128 days. Of good size, 

 smooth and solid, free from cracks until the long rain, 

 when all badly cracked and rotted. Kept 5 days. 



Cardinal. — Ripe in 13S days. Good size, bears well 

 and for a long time, stood rain good without cracks. 

 Kept 7 da} s. 



Acme. — Ripe in 128 days. Medium size, round, smooth 

 and solid, yellow and hard at stem — a bad fault — and 

 cracked badly in rain. Kept 5 days. 



Trophy. — Ripe in 128 days. Large size, some wrinkled, 

 heavy bearer, solid, free from hard core, quality good ; 

 cracked but little in rain. Kept 7 days. 



Matchless. — Ripe in 128 days. Good crop, bright red, 

 solid, good quality, stood rain well. Kept 14 days. 



Paragon. — Ripe in 131 days. Had black rot before 

 ripe ; bright red, solid and smooth, productive and long 

 in bearing, free from cracks in rain. Kept 9 days. 



Lorillard. — Ripe in 128 days. Good size, bright, 

 glossy red, smooth and solid, good in quality, good 

 bearer, picking a long time ; cracked a little in the long 

 rain. Kept 15 days. 



Dwarf Champion . — Ripe in 138 days, not keeping its 

 reputation for earliness. Fruit similar to Acme in size 

 and color ; shy bearer, badly cracked. Kept 6 days. 



Trench Tree (Upright). — Ripe in 155 days. No good. 



Station. — Ripe in 115 days. This is a cross of the 

 Alpha and French Tree, grown by Mr. Goff at the New 

 York State Experiment Station several years ago. It 

 was the first to ripen of all I had ; of medium size, 

 round, smooth and solid, of good flavor ; cracked some 

 at stem, was free from rot, has very few seeds — one of 

 good size counting only fifty-five. Some of the plants 

 were literally covered with fruit, it standing along the 

 stem as though tied on like onions. The plant has the 

 habit of its parent, ' The Tree," in no other respect re- 

 sembling it, however, as it was first early. When killed 

 by frost, it was still full of green and ripe fruit. It 

 would seem to be good for greenhouses, although I have 

 not tried it there. I would not recommend it for gen- 

 eral crop : still I think it may become a favorite in small 

 gardens and for its earliness. It may be found not to 

 ripen as fast as some varieties, but its earliness and good 

 quality will make amends for that. In small gardens it 

 may be planted only 2'/4 feet apart. 



Puritan. — Ripe in 134 days. Large, smooth, well 

 ripened at stem, bright red, quality good : large crop, 

 lasting a long time. Kept well in rain. Kept S days. 



Mikado. — Ripe in 130 days. Very like Turner's Hy- 



