= 
: 224 [ ASSEMBLY 
It is evident, therefore, that the claims of earliness, for new varie- 
ties of the tomato, should be accepted with some caution. 
How much may be gained in earliness ir the tomato by taking 
seeds from the earliest ripened fruits ? With the view of answering 
this question, we gathered in 1883 seeds from one of the first fruits 
to ripen, and from one of the latest, in five of the varieties that 
ripened among the earliest. We chose the earliest ripening varieties 
in order to secure the greatest variation in time. The results are 
given below. 
First vegeta- Per cent First ripe fruit First ten ripe 
tionin—days. vegetated. in — days. fruits in — days. 
Sh ils ga eay wohkec 5 < 3 = 
Patphar aes... 10... 10° 97> 92 1838": 14 
Boston Market..*: 10 10. 93.. -82:.:\148°- |143% 7 145346 
Canada Victor.. 11 11 . 94 74 142 184 144 142 
Green Gage.... 14. 14. 96 - «88. 150°° 4150. VISE 
AGING tows se li if) - 91-99% 145. — 145-227 Loa ee 
In the case of the Canada Victor the plants from the earliest seed 
ripened their fruit later than those from the latest seed. In the Acme 
no difference appears. In the Alpha, on the other hand, shows a 
marked difference in favor of the earliest seed. On theaverage the 
difference is very slight, but the little is in favor of the earliest seed. 
Tests with Green and Ripe Seed. 
The degree of greenness at which tomato seeds will vegetate is 
rather remarkable. In our experiments a small percentage of the 
seeds taken from a tomato fruit not fully developed in size, and 
which has not commenced to change color toward maturity, vege- 
tated and developed into plants. We found also that fruits gathered 
when entirely green, and exposed tothe sun, will change their color, ~ 
and assume all the appearance of ripeness. In order to note the in- 
fluence of green seed upon the resultant plants, we gathered in 1883 
seeds from six sample fruits of the Cook’s Favorite variety at differ- 
ent stages of ripeness, the first showing no signs of maturity, the 
second being pale green, the third showing a faint tinge of red, and 
so on to the sixth, which was fully ripe. On March 28 we planted 
fifty seeds from each of the six samples in boxes in the green-house, 
transplanting four plants of each (when so many vegetated), to the 
garden May 20. The result is given below: 
Commenced First ripe First ten ° 
to vegetate Per cent fruit ripe fruits. 
in — days. vegetated. in— days. in — days., 
MSLY PTCONS «<icife ic sisi ep io 8h 2 126 137 
EDOEGs paw saeco capieat 10 84 143 157 
PGCE als Sead wits ena eee 10 100 140 151 
RD OL cytes ahs oin acetone 10 96 141 147 
Peper... ness icone aed 10 88 141 147 
EVIDCRL.S-78s ps park aoe oe 10 96 146 152 
