1st. Pear-shaped form. 2nd. Oblong form.

Fruit large, angular or apple-shaped, purple, red, striped, yellow or white; foliage abundant; leaves of several leaflets, stems stocky. Var. vulgare.

1st. Augular form. 2nd. Apple-shaped form. Fruit large, purple, red or yellow; leaves very large, of young plants entire; leaflets few, very large. Var. grandifolium. Fruit medium, branches standing upright, tree-like.

cf. Cornell, B. 32; Mich. B. 48; Md. 2d Ann. Rep.

Var. validum.

Scale of Ideal Tomato.

Since the cultivation of the tomato began there has been a constant increase in the size of the fruit and in the weight of the herbage. The increase in size of fruit has probably gone beyond the profitable point in some kinds, as those bearing the largest fruits are not the most prolific bearers, nor do they give the largest crop. Then, again, the size of the fruit is increased at the expense of the constitution of the plant, or the power to resist dis

eases.

The following is the scale of an ideal tomato for Florida:

By referring to the scale of the ideal tomato for Florida, it will be seen that great stress is laid on the vigor of the plant. This point should be carefully guarded, because diseases of the plants have caused more loss than all other causes combined. It is easier to cultivate a field of healthy, vigorous plants than a field of sickly ones.

Productiveness is everywhere an important quality, and one that shows considerable variation in different kinds, and often in different strains of the same kind.

Some tomatoes are good in every other respect, but do not ship well. They may for some unknown cause rot earlier than other kinds when they are subject to exactly the same conditions; then they may not ship well because of being soft or easily bruised.

In some localities earliness is also an important factor; but in localities where there are no winter frosts this point would not scale so much.

Color, shape and size are qualities that are simply matters of convenience and of preference. As the market value of a vegetable depends very much on its appearance. Whatever qualities go to make up its appearance must not be overlooked. The flavor and cooking qualities are not given many points, because these are not affected by different kinds to an extent which injures the market value.

A brief description of some of the kinds that are popular in Florida will be given here. There are some kinds that are quite new and promise to be as good as any in this list, and there are some old ones that are nearly as good as these; but the list is so long that it cannot be given.

Twelve Good Tomatoes.

(1.) Beauty has its fruit uniformly smooth and of even size; slightly flatter than Stone; the color is pink; good shipper and fair flavor; stands fairly against disease; some fields suffered from macrosporium and from blight; yield good. With some growers it is quite a favorite. On the whole, it is one of our best kinds.

2. Ignotum originated at the Michigan Agricultural College, and has been offered by seedmen for a number of years. A vigorous grower, fairly early and quite productive; a good keeper and shipper; deep red and large on well fertilized soil; smooth and of good flavor. It may not be the most resisting against disease.

3. Long-keeper is another good one of the purple kind. It

is of medium size, and ripens quite evenly. Its right to this name has been disputed, but whenever the field was free from disease no complaint has been heard.

4. Mikado has been much praised. It is a fine tomato for home use; a little too large to make a good shipper. The blight is very severe on this kind.

5. Red Mikado is like Mikado, except that it is red instead of purple.

6. Paragon is of a good size; rather late; the color red; the fruit somewhat inclined to be angular, but generally regular; solid, but less productive than Volunteer.

7. Peach is given because it is somewhat of a novelty; does not bear much handling; a small pinkish tomato, with more or less of a peach bloom and roughness; palatable, and a decided acquisition to the table-garden; qualities good, but too soft for shipping.

8. Perfection is highly praised in seed catalogues, but cannot stand shipping.

9. Potato-leaf is so called because of the peculiar foliage. It belongs to the Mikado kinds. The color is pink; fruit large, and a good producer, but cannot stand the rough handling of shipping.

10. Stone is quite solid on account of the thick cell walls, consequently a good shipper. More spherical than Beauty, and often has a scar or other irregularity at the apex. The fruit averaged a little heavier than that of Beauty. Probably somewhat more attacked by blight than Beauty, but less by macrosporium.

11. Volunteer is quite similar to Paragon, but more regular and more productive; a good all-round tomato.

12. Acme is another good variety. It will class well with Beauty and with Stone. In some cases it seemed quite certain that the so-called Acme tomatoes were really Stone.

How to Improve Our Tomatoes.

The present kinds could be much improved by selecting our own seed, always keeping in mind the points desired. Selecting seed from fruit that is not ripe makes the fruit ripen earlier, but at the expense of the vigor of the plant and size of fruit.* Selecting *E. S. Goff, Wis. Agrl. Exp. Sta. 8th Ann. Rep., p. 152.

from diseased plants produces a predisposition in the progeny to take the disease. Selecting seed from culls or from fruit in any way defective will tend to reproduce this character. It would not be well to plant several varieties together if one wishes to raise seed. The varieties mix to such an extent that the progeny will not be like either parent, and often it happens that the result of such mixing gives a much inferior fruit. This is due to the tendency that fruits have to revert to the ancient parent; a tendency known in breeding as atavism.

The results of taking the seed for six successive generations from tomatoes not ripe as compared with seed taken from fully ripe tomatoes of the same variety showed that the amount of foliage and stems by weight was less than half as much in the plants from immature seed as from plants from ripe seed. The comparison of the number of fruits showed those from the immature seed more than double that of the same number of plants from mature seed. The average weight of the individual fruit of the immature seed was found to be about an eleventh less than that of the mature fruit. Selecting green tomatoes for seed had a tendency to make the fruit ripen earlier, but with this there was a loss in firmness and in keeping qualities. Both of these are essential elements and must not be looked upon too lightly.

Another important point is that immature seed is much less liable to germinate. Fruit growers frequently complain of particular kinds "running out." From what has been said in regard to breeding, it will be seen that it is quite out of the normal for them to do otherwise. The particular surroundings will cause some point to be fostered at the expense of others. In the above illustration of choosing green fruit for seed, at the end of six generations the plants from the immature seed produced

weaker vines, more fruit, smaller fruit, and the fruit matured, on an average, twelve days earlier. The above points seem to be important enough to found a new kind of tomato. This enforces the argument of home-grown seed, and the buying of seed from a careful breeder.

HOW TO SELECT FOR SEED.

Every tomato grower should select for seed those tomatoes that have the particular qualities that he desires. The prevailing opinion that some kinds of tomatoes are more resisting to disease than others has a foundation in fact. In selecting the tomatoes they should be taken from healthy, thrifty plants that have borne a good crop of fruit in the proper season. The different tests show that the selecting of first-ripe fruit does not tend to increase the earliness of the progeuy. Let it be stated again that the plant in its general looks and form of fruit has more influence over the future crop than the shape, form, etc., of the individual fruit.*

In selecting seed much care should be exercised to get the best; this will always be found the cheapest in the end. A dollar or two should not be taken into consideration when purchasing seed. If one saves his own seed it is of the greatest importance that care should be taken to save the best. The The average number of seed to a pound is 151,000. Planting the field 4x4 feet will accommodate 2700 plants; or a pound of first-class seed would plant 56 acres of tomatoes, or an ounce would plant 34 acres. These figures give us somewhat of an idea how much our seed falls below first-class. If a person saves his own seed it is not a difficult matter to have 90 or 95 per cent. of it germinate. The further advantage is that you know it to be the seed. Much of the seed sold is not true to the name, and some that is true to name is from plants that are degenerating. Again, the selecting of your own seed will insure that the kind is more or less acclimated and fortified against the diseases peculiar to our State, such as the blight, dropping of flowers, etc. It will also be noticed from a previous discussion that by constantly choosing seed from immature plants the quality of the fruit and general vitality of the plant is lowered.

*Md. 2d Rep., p. 40,