62 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[February, 
notes of the varieties, taken on the 6th day of 
August, are as follows : 
Boston Market. — Scarlet-crimson; large, 
rather rough, early ; foliage drooping, defective. 
Early York. — Evidently the same, or so 
near it, as not to be distinguished. 
Lyman's Mammoth. — Color, salmon shade of 
crimson; second early; large, smooth, and 
productive; differing slightly from the Fegee. 
General Grant. — Color, scarlet-crimson ; 
smooth, solid, and of medium size, with stroug, 
healthy foliage, which will adapt it for light 
soils ; an excellent variety in all respects ; early. 
The Cooks' Favorite. — Color, deep red; 
size, medium, solid and productive ; second early. 
Rose. — A European variety, of a pinkish- 
salmou color, of immense size, some of the fruit 
weighing 23 oz., but it is ill-shapen, wrinkled, 
and late, and can only be useful for catsup. 
Buck's Large Red. — A Southern variety, 
similar to the above, except in color, which is 
of the usual crimson-scarlet shade. 
Sidell's No. 2.— The darkest shade of scarlet 
we have yet seen in any tomato; also very 
solid, smooth, and productive ; a desirable 
variety for private use, but too late for market. 
New York Market. — Light scarlet-crim- 
son ; large, rather rough, but prolific and early. 
Sidell's Mammoth, Boston Prize, and 
Maupay's Superior, are so like the New York 
Market, that it is useless to make distinction. 
Keyes' Prolific. — Showed the first ripe 
fruit, but is too small for a market sort. 
Dwarp Prolific. — A distiuct variety of 
dwarf, strong, upright growth, somewhat re- 
sembling the Tree Tomato, but more produc- 
tive ; fruit, medium size; color, rich scarlet, 
solid, and earl}'; desirable for private use on 
grounds of limited area, as it can be grown one- 
half closer than most varieties. 
Yellow Perfected.— A large, smooth va- 
riety, of a golden-yellow color; desirable in 
every respect. The 3-ellow varieties, however, 
do not sell freely in our New York markets. 
Golden Striped. — This variety is speckled 
with yellow on a crimson ground, like the 
"Crimson Cluster;" late and quite rough. 
Fegee Improved. — The improvement is in 
the greater smoothness of the fruit; but this, 
like all other varieties not having the crimson- 
scarlet shade of color, is not desirable as a 
market fruit; the color is a salmon-violet shade. 
Valencia Cluster. — A sour, rough variety, 
in no respect worthy of cultivation. 
Crimson Cluster. — This is one of the earli- 
est kinds ; of medium size, smooth, and solid ; 
the fruit is borne in large clusters, averaging a 
dozen or so in each, having the very desirable 
quality of ripening nearly the whole cluster at 
once ; as an early fruit it is very desirable for 
market; though, when the market is well sup- 
plied, its color might be objectionable, as its 
crimson-scarlet color is speckled with yellow. 
Slmms' Cluster. — Color, crimson-scarlet ; 
smooth, and solid ; rather late. 
King of Tomatoes. — One of the earliest; 
medium size ; smooth, of a rich crimson-scarlet 
shade ; in all respects desirable. 
Charlton's Early. — Almost identical with 
the above. 
Cedar Hill. — Very early; medium size; 
immense bearer, but on heavy soils rather rough. 
Early York. — Early; medium size, smooth, 
and prolific ; hardly solid enough for general use. 
Boston Market. — Evidently the same. 
Ttlden. — Crimson-scarlet ; smooth ; very 
prolific, but late. 
Algiers. — A large, late, stroug-growing kind, 
of no special merit. 
Michigan No. 1. — A very dark crimson va- 
riety; smooth, solid, early, medium size. 
Rising Sun. — A large-sized, smooth, solid 
variety, wonderfully productive, which ripened 
fruit next to "Keyes' Prolific," a heavier weight 
of ripe fruit being taken from it on the day of 
testing than from any other sort. Selecting 
the four best varieties from the whole, we 
would place this variety as first, " Gen. Grant" 
as second, "Crimson Cluster" as third, and 
"King of Tomatoes" as fourth. 
These conclusions are arrived at from this 
experiment, made on our heavy loamy soil of 
Bergen City, in Hudson Co., N. J. ; possibly 
other varieties might be preferred in different 
soils or in different latitudes. 
Iu my opiuiou, the extreme point of earliuess 
in tomatoes has been reached years ago, and 
now all further improvements must be in poiut 
of size, smoothuess, and solidity ; and that any 
one laying claim to having varieties a specified 
number of days or weeks earlier than those we 
already have,does so without having a knowledge 
of the subject, or with the desire to impose on 
the public. The tomato is a plant requiring at 
all times a certain high temperature to ripen its 
fruit ; and though it may ripen in Georgia in 
May, in Virginia in June, iu Delaware in July, 
or in New Jersey in August, it requires the 
same aggregate amount of heat to do the work. 
The same is true of most fruits and vege- 
tables ; we reach a certain point of earliuess 
with a given variety in a given locality, when . 
the temperature tells us we must stop. If im- 
provement in earliuess was progressive, we 
might have reason to expect that the Radish or 
Lettuce, which matures with us iu the open 
ground here in May, would yet mature in April. 
Hedges, or live Fences for the West. 
BT OUR SPECIAi IOWA CONTRIBUTOR. 
That we upon the timberless prairies must 
grow our fences where we want them, is in my 
mind a fixed fact. This being settled, the ques- 
tions arises, what shall we use? and how manage 
and cultivate? 
The Osage Orange without doubt, stands at 
the head of hedge plants for this latitude. The 
idea was formerly entertained that it would not 
succeed. As an evidence of its success under 
proper treatment, it may be noticed that our 
farmers are almost universally putting out more 
and more of it each succeeding year. Thou- 
sands fail simply because the conditions of suc- 
cess are not complied with. 
Good plants, a thorough preparation of the 
soil, including drainage, proper setting, cultiva- 
tion, and future management, are indispensable. 
It is safe to say that one-third of the plants as 
they come from the nursery, are unfit to be 
used. If they have vitality enough to survive 
the removal, they only drag out a sickly exist- 
ence, and are finally crowded out by the more 
vigorous plants and leave the hedge full of 
gaps, thus ruining its utility and beauty. At 
the present low price of the plants (about $1 per 
thousand) it is economy to use none but first 
class. If others are set at all, they should be 
carefully assorted, and the first and second class 
set by themselves. 
The next step towards success is the right 
preparation of the soil. Many in their haste to 
reach results fail just here. They are impatient 
to get a start, and do not properly prepare their 
ground. Sod may be prepared to plant the 
following spring, by breaking in June, two 
inches deep, and in September plowing deeply, 
throwing the furrows each way, leaving as deep 
a ditch as possible on the line of the hedge. 
This gives the frosts and rains a chance to 
operate upon the subsoil. In the spring throw 
the furrows back, not only filling the ditch, but 
raising a bed above the natural level — more or 
less as the ground is flat or rolling. If quite flat, 
a bed 6 feet wide, and 15 inches above the level, 
is none too high; for bear in mind that the' 
Osage cannot endure wet feet. Having thus 
prepared the bed, take a small stirring plow and 
open a furrow for plants. Let a hand follow 
with the plants in a bucket, keeping the roots 
covered with thin, mud, and set them up against 
the perpendicular side of the furrow, six inches 
apart, if for an upright hedge — or twelve inches 
if it is to be slashed. Another hand should 
follow with a hoe, and draw the earth into the 
furrow, covering the plants a little deeper than 
they stood in the nursery. 
I like the plan of taking up the plants in the 
fall, keeping them in some well-protected place 
till they start in the spring, so that the lifeless 
ones may be known, and rejected. If this is not 
done the earlier they are set after that the frost is 
out of the ground, the better. The roots are 
easily injured and should be handled with care, 
and kept well moistened. If the hedge plants 
are bought at a nursery, they will have been 
trimmed before sending out. If one raises his 
own plants, he should cut back the top to about 
4 inches, leaving the root about 8 inches long. 
The plants being iu the hedge row, cultiva- 
tion must follow, and the more the better. 
Never set a hedge so close to a fence, that it 
cannot be well cultivated on both sides. A sulky 
plow may be profitably used for close cultiva- 
tion, if carefully manipulated ; a double shovel 
for more distant. Mulching is good but thor- 
ough cultivation better ; but mulching is better 
than poor cultivation. Protection the first win- 
ter in this and more northern latitudes, is abso- 
lutely necessary. For this purpose refuse straw 
or coarse manure are useful. This mulching 
makes a good substitute for cultivation the sec- 
ond year if properly done, and will in a great 
measure keep down the weeds, and retain mois- 
ture. If the hedge is to be " slashed " (or plash- 
ed), no trimming will be necessary; otherwise 
in August cut off half of this (second) year's 
growth. Slashing is done the third year in 
Ma) r or June, by cutting each plant half through 
near the ground, the nearer the better, and lay- 
ing over one upon another nearly horizontally, 
leaving one plant uncut and upright as a 
stake or stay, once in about ten feet. There 
is a difference of opinion upon the question 
of slashing, some holding that it injures the 
vitality of the hedge; but it is very evident 
that a more impenetrable hedge can be 
made in this way than in any other. The plan 
has also the advantage of requiring fewer plants 
and in consequence a more rapid growth can 
be obtained, than when closely set. A word 
for the white or gray Willow as a hedge plant. 
For sloughs and other places too wet for the 
Osage, the willow is admirably adapted. Use 
the willow stakes feet long, drive them down 
one foot, 8 or 10 inches asunder, and in three 
years time they will fomi a barrier against 
stock. The more usual way of using the willow, 
though not so good, is to plant cuttings 6 inches 
long, which are forced into the ground at an 
angle of about 25 degrees, leaving only one bud 
