267 



■ early red kind. A neighbor, who planted somewhat 

 largely of several kinds, giving them all an extra 

 early start in hot-beds and a warm southern ex- 

 posure, side by side, and without advantage to 

 either kind, reports that the Keyes' lags some days 

 behind. This is the experience of many others in 

 the vicinity of Boston. If the introducers were 

 ignorant of the time of ripening, of course they 

 could not honestly make any statement. If they 

 knew the time, what then shall we conclude ? 



[In addition to the above note from our Boston 

 correspondent, we have many oral complaiuts from 

 other persons, in not very complimentary terms. 



We do not think, however, as some of our friends 

 beheve, that there has been any deliberate intention 

 to impose a worthless variety on the public. We 

 believe they honestly thought they had a tomato 30 

 days earlier than any other. We have no doubt 

 the tomatoes referred to in the commendations were 

 ripe 30 days earlier than the others, just as stated. 



But we have shown in our Journal, on several oc- 

 casions, that it is no test of earliness for a plant to 

 be set out after another, and yet ripen first ; and 

 when this very tomato first came out, we had an 

 article especially to show this. 



The following testimonials of the Keyes' Tomato 

 gives the case just as we should suppose : — 



The following testimonial, from the Chairman of 

 the Vegetable Committee of the Massachusetts 

 Horticultural Society, Mr. C. N. Brackett, who is 

 fiimiliar with all the best tomatoes, is the best evi- 

 dence of the great value of Mr. Keyes' new' seed- 

 ling :— 



"This new variety was originated by Mr. C. A. 

 Keyes, in 1864. It came up in a plot of ground 

 where several varieties had been grown the preced- 

 ing year. Not having the appearance, or the usual 

 smell of the tomato plant, Mr. Keyes transplanted 

 it out of curiosity. The plant produced a cluster of 

 fruit, 20 in number, within 12 inches of the root of 

 the plant, ripening at least 30 days earlier than any 

 of the several varieties in Mr. Keyes' grounds. 

 This year he tried it with the Tilden, and other 

 leading kinds, and found it 30 days earlier than 

 either. Whole clusters, from 10 to 20 in a cluster, 

 of the Prolific were fully ripe, while the Tilden con- 

 tained but one single ripe specimen on the vine. 

 The fruit of this variety grows in clusters, with 

 from 7 to 20 clusters on on a vine, and the fruit not 

 over 18 inches from the root. The foliage is very 

 large, some of the leaves measuring 8 inches in 

 length by 6 in breadth, entirely distinct from other 

 varieties. Mr. Keyes exhibited both fruit and 

 foliage of the tomato at the Annual Exhibition, and 



it is, in the opinion of the Committee, a new and 

 distinct variety, and worthy of trial." 



Other testimonials are as follows: — 

 "From P. Nevins, Gardener to Gov. Bulloch, 



Worcester, 3Iass. : — 



Grentlemen, — Mr. Keyes gave me three plants of 

 the Prolific Tomato, tiao weeks after the Tilden was 

 set in the ground, and I had large clusters of ripe 

 tomatoes the 16th July, TWO aveeks earlier than 

 the Tilden, of which, at that time, only one ripe 

 tomato could be found on a much larger lot of 

 plants. It does not run to vines as other sorts do, 

 and in flavor it is sugar sweet. It is a great bearer, 

 and the leave which have no smell, are very large, 

 9 inches long, by 7 wide. Respectfully yours, 



P. Nevins, Gardener to Gov. Bulloch. 

 From Charles Nash, Worcester, 31ass. :— 



Grentlemen,— I think Mr. Keyes' new tomato 

 very well named the "Early Prolific." We had a 

 few plants of it last season. I was at Mr. Keyes' 

 garden, in the fall of 1865, where I saw a little 

 patch of ground literally red with tomatoes. I 

 really think there was not a green one to be seen. 

 They were of good size, and perfectly smooth. I at 

 once exclaimed, Why ! what in the world have you 

 here ? He replied, by saying that they were a lot 

 of small late plants that were not set out until the 

 1st of July. It then seemed to me more remarka- 

 ble still. I asked him if I might take one for seed? 

 He said yes. Well, my plants, the last season, were 

 fully up to my expectations ; the fruit was larger, 

 owing to the ground being richer. They made quite 

 a show, as many who called to see them can testify. 

 The fruit grows in clusters of 10 to 15 or more, and 

 I think we counted one cluster of 18. Now most 

 tomatoes continue growing and setting new fruit 

 until frost ; but the Early Prolific sets its fruit in 

 these large clusters on the main stem, near the root, 

 so that there is a greater uniformity of ripening, 

 and of course matures earlier. In offering to the 

 public an improved variety of a fruit that has be- 

 come almost one of the necessaries of life, Mr. 

 Keyes must be commended as a public benefactor. 

 Respectfully yours, 



Charles Nash." 



It is clear from the above, that the earlier planted 

 ones got stunted by being set too early, and instead 

 of the circumstances favoring the "Keyes' " com- 

 petitors, they were really favoring that variety. 

 Every farmer knows that he gains nothing by plant- 

 ing his corn until the earth gets warm, and our only 

 surprise is, that gentlemen with a good horticultural 

 reputation, equal to those concerned in this trans- 

 action, should so far forget this fact as to be led 



