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Bulletin 42

February, 1897

NEW HAMPSHIRE COLLEGE

AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION

L TOMATO GROWING IN NEW HAMPSHIRE
11. NOTES ON TOMATO BREEDING

BY F. WM. RANE AND LEIGH HUNT

NEW HAMPSHIRE COLLEGE

OF

AGRICULTURE AND THE MECHANIC ARTS

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I. TOMATO GROWING IN NEW HAMPSHIRE

F. WM. RANK AND LEIGH HUNT

At the Tilton and Rochester fairs, last fall, it was evident
that tomato growing was well understood by many gardeners,
especially by those who made exhibits. Many were able to
name at sight a large proportion of our fifty-six varieties on
exhibition. Not having fully completed our notes at that time,
we were unable to state the average yield, and much of the
information asked for, especially regarding the newer varieties.
The office of this bulletin is to present the results of our study
of the varieties named during the past season. Our deductions
and notes apply only to our New Hampshire conditions. The
varieties best suited to our state are those having an early
maturity, ripening the bulk of their fruit before September.

SOIL AND CULTIVATION

The soil of the tomato field was a good loam, practically
level. A crop of millet was grown upon the land in 1S95,
and potatoes in 1894. In the spring of 1896 a light coating of
cow manure, and a heavv application of a complete tomato fer-
tilizer were used. The plants which were started from seed in
the greenhouse, March i6th, had been transplanted twice,
once from the seed boxes into trays, two inches apart each way ;
and again into the cold frame, six inches apart, thus giving
them a stock}' growth. They were transplanted into the field
May 25th and 26th, in rows five feet apart, the plants three
feet apart in the row ; or, at the rate of 2,904 plants to the acre.
Ten plants of each variety were selected upon which to base
the experiment.

The land was cultivated frequently until the plants were of
fair size. The method of training was to tie each plant to an
ordinary bean-pole sufficiently to keep it from the ground.
This necessitated a slight amount of pruning to improve the

i8

TOMATO GROWING IN NEW HAMPSHIRE

conditions for ripening. May and June were cool, dry months,
and the tomatoes started slowly. While the remainder of the
season was sufficiently wet, there was no continuous muggy
weather to induce the growth of fungous diseases.

The fruit was picked three times a week, on Mondays,
Wednesdays, and Fridays, and at each picking the number,
total weight, amount of rot, etc., were tabulated for each
variety. The photographs show a single specimen of each
variety at nearly the close of the season. They were selected
September 14th. While in some instances the size is slightly
below the average, in most cases the selection is a fair repre-
sentative of its variety.

TABLE I.
Comparison of Varieties. Ten Plants Used as the Basis of Estimation.

VARIETY NAME.

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1
2
3

4
5
6
7
8
9

10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29

Large Red Olive Cross

Mixed Red and Purple Cross

Scarlet Cross

Large Purple Olive Cross

Three Celled Cross

Two Celled Cross

Ten Ton

Early Richmond

Virginia Corker

Dwarf Aristocrat

Buckeye State

Early Acme ,

Stone

Beauty

Early Michigan ,

Optimus

New Tomato, No. 105

New Liberty Bell

The Fortune

Brinton's Best

Ignotum

Red Peach

Earliest of All ,

Thorburn New York

The Waldorf

Autocrat

Democrat

Conference

Faultless Early

Lbs.

7.1

6.4

6

6

4.7

5.2

8.9

14.2
8.3

10.9
3.5

11.2
8.9

11.2

12.6
8.7
9

10.4
8.1

11.4
8.1
3.3
9.1
7.2

10.1
9.6
8.6

10.6
8.8

Aug.

July
Aug.

July
Aug.

July
Aug.
July
Aug.

July

10
12
24
10

3
10
10

7
12
24
19

3
12

7
10
10
10

7

7
10
29
12
16

7

7
10
10
29
24

Oz.

Lbs.

2.6

3

10

4

1

9.8

3.6

1

8.7

5.3

4

9.6

3.2

1

9.5

2.6

4

13

3.9

1

5.4

4.9

2

3.3

2.8

2

9.8

2.8

3

4.7

6.8

11

8.9

4.2

6

5.3

7.2

.7

8

6

4

4.5

6.4

.7

6.9

5.

1

5.4

4.4

1

6.5

6

2

3.9

4.5

1

2.8

5.5

2

2.7

3.9

4

3.2

2

.8

5.8

2.2

2

.7

3.3

15

4.6

4.8

8

6.9

4.8

1

6.7

6.9

2

6

3.4

.6

3.1

4.5

3

2.7

Landreth.

Livingston.

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Thorburn.

Farquhar.

NOTES ON VARIETIES I9

TABLE I— Continued.
Comparison of Varieties. Ten Plants Used as the Basis of Estimation.

VARIETY NAME.

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30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
4.5
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56

Bright and Early (large) . . .

President Cleveland

Crimson Cushion

Ponderosa

Belmont

Acme

Early Leader

McCullom's Hybrid

Puritan

County Fair

Imperial

Fordhook First ,

Chenery's Early

Thorburn Long- Keeper

Red Cross

Red Bird

Fifty Days the Earliest

Morning Star

Bright and Early (medium)
Bond's Early Minnesota...

Wisconsin Climbing

First of All

Clustered Small Red

Large Yellow

Large Red (clustered )

Perfection

Dwarf Champion

Lbs,

Oz.

Lhs.

16.3

July 24

4.8

3

16.4

" 29

2.7

1

14.9

Aug. 7

7.7

3

18.6

1

7.3

4

16.6

July 24

4.2

1

11.9

Aug. 7

6

2

5.5

15.3

July 16

3

5

.2

11.3

" 24

4.8

4

4.6

10.4

.\ug. 12

5.7

5

7.7

8.6

July 18

3.3

2

4.1

10.9

" 24

5.2

2

5.2

9.7

8

4.2

3

8.8

10.8

" 24

4.6

6

3.8

11.7

Aug. 4

4.2

2

5.5

11.2

" 7

4.6

3

2.5

13.9

July 29

3.9

2

.9

13.8

" 24

1.8

.3

1.7

12

Aug. 18

8.1

3

4.6

13.8

" 18

2

.5

1.2

11.5

" 10

2.2

.7

2.4

8.8

July 27

7.3

3

2.2

13.2

" 16

4.4

2

1

1.2

" 29

2

3.7

" 24

3.7

2

2.5

" 29

2

8.7

" 29

4.1

3

4.6

3.5

Aug. 21

2.1

2

9.6

Farquhar.

Henderson,

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Rawson.
Buckbee.

Burpee.

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Sch.& Fottler

Cooke.

Salzer.
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Dreer.
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May.

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F. W. Brooke

H. Barnard.
Biedermann.

NOTES ON VARIETIES

Nos. I, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 are Latidreth's crosses, the names of
which can be found in Table I. They are of interest from the
standpoint of plant-breeding, but are too unstable for general
recommendation. All were comparatively late and yielded
below the average.

7. T'en Toti. — Smooth, crimson tomato, of fair size, good
shape, and moderate firmness. Ripens slowly after first color-
ing.

8. Early Richmond. — No longer deserves planting ; two
weeks later than other better varieties. Good size, productive,
ripening rapidly after it has once turned ; but is a rough, flat-

20 TOMATO GROWING IN NEW HAMPSHIRK

tened, much-ribbed fruit. Its irregularities make it likely to be
broken in handlins:.

9. Virginia Corkei-. — Rather late and ripens slowly ; of
good form and color; firm. Good for close of season and
green fruit.

10. Divarf Aristocrat. — Bright red fruit, which began to
ripen early but not in quantity until late. Fruit solid, round or
apple-shaped, small to medium ; vines two to three feet high,
of a very dark green, massive foliage.

11. Buckeye State. — Except for a very late fruit, this is use-
less. Large vines and fruit of good size and form, and crimson-
purple in color. Bad tendency to rot.

12. Early Acme. — Probably a selected strain from the older
Acme. Though similar in all respects, it is rather inferior.
Ripening earlier in the season, it also ripens more slowly ;
nothing gained. Good size and shape, prolific.

13. The Stone. — An excellent tomato in form, color, quan-
tity, and size, good keeper, solid, skin strong, scarlet ; ripens
regularly throughout the season. Late and strong grower.

14. Livingston' s Beauty. — One of the most satisfactory
tomatoes grown ; medium early, continuing very late. Crimson
or purple fruit, of a very smooth, solid, and desirable form.
Keeps and ships well ; good quality, vines strong growers of
medium size. Prolific.

15. Early Michigati. — Not to be called an early towxAio \
others had yielded fifteen or sixteen pounds of fruit before this
ripened. Smooth, good shape, rather large, prolific.

16. Optimus. — Very uniform in color, size, and form ; a
good, productive, middle-season tomato.

17. Neiv Tomato., No. JOj. — Large, late vines, with fruit of
good size, fairly abundant, firm, smooth, red. Keeps well.

18. New Liberty Bell. — Medium to late, fair size, round
and somewhat flattened ; tendency to remain green and to
crack at stem end.

19. New Fortune. — Smooth, uniform in size and shape,
good quality, with vines of a rugged, strong growth.

20. Brinton's Best. — Middle-season variety, smooth, red,
fair size, good quality.

NOTES ON VARIETIES 21

21. Ignotum. — Large, smooth, solid, sour, productive, and
well-known variety ; tendency to rot.

22. Red Peach. — Good for its kind, — useful only for private
gardens.

23. Earliest of All. — Slender vines, bearing a good crop of
a most inferior, rough, ribbed fruit, with one side ripe and one
green. Ripens in quantity early in season, which is all that
can be said for it.

24. Thorburn'' s Neiv Torker. — A medium tomato in all
respects ; hexagonal in shape, red and purple, considerable rot
at blossom end. Tendency to crack before ripe.

25. The WaldorJ. — Very good ; medium to late, smooth,
productive, and firm ; desirable shape and size.

26. Autocrat. — Fair, not as uniform in size as Beauty,
Champion, etc., but of good average, desirable firmness and
shape, mild flavor, prolific.

27. Democrat. — Larger and not as smooth as 26, but much
like it.

28. Conference. — Smooth, medium size, good quality, firm
and productive.

29. Faultless Early. — A good, smooth tomato, uniform in
size, color, and shape ; not particularly early, but preferable to

23-

30. Bright and Early. — Large and irregular ; does not

ripen uniformly. Of no use.

31. President Cleveland. — Not uniform in size, color, or
shape; good quality, fairly firm, prolific.

32. Criiuson Cushion. — Uniformly large, irregular, quite
badly cracked and spotted with green ; productive.

33. Ponderosa. — Ripens slowly ; huge, irregular, double
and single fruits; not suitable for table use.

34. Belmont. — Scarlet, round, smooth, solid, early, very
productive, and of good quality ; ripens very uniformly
throughout the season.

3^. Acme. — A dark red, meilium-sized, smooth, solid, and
well-known, reliable variety.

36. Early Leader. — Very similar to 23, very little better ;
of no use.

22 TOMATO GROWING IN NEW HAMPSHIRE

37. McCullom^s Hybrid. — No uniformity in vines, color,
shape, or quality of fruit ; productive.

38. Puritaji. — Scarlet, medium to late, good size and form ;
variable.

39. County Fair. — One of best grown ; early, productive,
fruit solid, dark red, smooth, good quality, ripening plentifully
throughout the season. Sturdy, dark green vines, similar to
Dwarf Aristocrat.

40. It?iperial. — Not up to standard this season ; not of usual
size. Some cracked ; seed mixed, perhaps.

41. Fordhook's First. — Tall growing vines, yet one of ear-
liest to produce good fruit. Crimson, round, and smooth,
solid, good flavor; keeps well. One of very best early sorts;
continues good till frost.

42. Chenery's Early. — A good crimson variety, but not
equal to 41. Fruit fairly solid, of uniform shape.

43. Thorhurn Long-Keeper. — Good size, firm, fair quality,
good keeper, productive.

44. Red Cross. — Medium size, middle and late season, firm,
good shape and quality.

45. Red Bird. — Medium to small, good quality and form,
not very solid ; productive.

46. Fifty Days the Earliest. — A red tomato of small size,
solid, round, smooth, and uniform in all respects; medium
early and productive. Good for shipping, if size be permis-
sible.

47. Alorning Star. — Another of the Ponderosa type ; equally
large, rough, and undesirable.

48. Bright and Early. — Very similar to 46 and 49, but
later.

49. Bond's Early Minnesota. — Dark red, small, plump,
hard, and of good quality, productive ; not early. Same class
as 46 and 48.

50. Wisconsin Climbing. — Large, double tomatoes, rough
and undesirable.

51. First of AIL- -Fairly smooth, with tendency to crack at
top as season advances. Probably identical with Atlantic
Prize.

SUMMARY 23

52. Clustered S7nall- Red. — Curiosities; inferior in flavor,
late, and apt to crack before ripening.

53. Large Yelloxv. — Medium size, smooth, good quality,
but ripens very slowl}', with light yields. Inferior to Lemon
Blush or Golden Qiieen.

54. Large Red Clustered. — Same as 52, only somewhat
mixed with yellow.

55. Livingsto7i Perfection. — Early, of good size, uniform in
color and shape ; one of best for home gardens. Softer than
Beauty.

56. Dzvarf Champion. — Short, stocky vines, yielding good
crops of smooth, purple, solid fruit; stands shipping well.
Desirable for any purpose ; are the very best for spring plant
trade.

SUMMARY

1 . The varieties best suited to New Hampshire are those
having an early maturity, ripening the bulk of their fruit by
September.

2. The following varieties we would place upon the rejected
list: Early Richmond, Earliest of All, Bright and Early, Pon-
derosa. Early Leader, Morning Star, Wisconsin Climbing, and
Large Yellow.

3. All of the Landreth crosses, together with Buckeye State
and Virginia Corker, are too late for this climate.

4. The varieties making the best general showing were :
Belmont, Early Michigan, Acme, Brinton's Best. Beauty, Red
Cross, Waldorf, Fordhook's First, Stone, and County Fair.
These are named in order of productiveness.

5. The varieties making a fair showing were : Red Bird,
Long-Keeper, Dwarf Aristocrat, Chenery's Early, Conference,
Puritan, Autocrat, No. 105, Optimus, Perfection, Ignotum,
Fortune, and Dwarf Champion. Also given in order of pro-
ductiveness.

6. The following varieties were found to possess some objec-
tionable features: President Cleveland, Crimson Cushion, First
of All, McCullom's Hybrid, Imperial, New Liberty Bell,
Faultless Early, and New York.

7. A distinct type of tomato is found in the three varieties:
Bright and Early, Fifty Days the Earliest, and Bond's Early

34 NOTES ON TOMATO BREEDING

Minnesota. While below the average in size, as shown is Nos.
48, 46, and 49, respectively, in the photograph, they are
smooth, uniform, productive, and very desirable for home use,
if not for the market.

8. Varieties 22, Red Peach, 52, Clustered Small Red, and
54, Clustered Large Red, are simply novelties, and of compar-
atively little use except for preserving and pickling.

II. NOTES ON TOMATO BREBDING

BY F. WM. RANE

There is probably no plant we have so much literature upon,
and that has been studied so thoroughly from the standpoint of
plant-breeding, as the tomato. This is doubtless due to the
fact that it is easily grown, commonly used, and offers excep-
tionally good opportunity for study.

The tomato plant is quickly susceptible to careful selection,
and it is bv this that value is given to cross results, whether
natural or mechanical.

In selecting tomato seed it has been demonstrated that the
plant as a whole has more hereditary influence than the char-
acter of the individual fruit.

Repeated experiments have shown that nothing is gained by
selecting seeds from first ripe fruit, regardless of the character
of the plant from which they come.

When new varieties are desired through crossing, the fore-
going applies equally to each parent. The more uniform and
persistent the parent, the greater is the chance that its charac-
teristics will be transmitted.

When the desired variety is once realized, it is kept only by
constant attention to selection. It is doubtless chiefly due to

NOTES ON TOMATO BREEDING 25

carelessness in selection that our varieties of tomatoes as a
whole are so comparatively short-lived.

Tillao-e, fertilization, and other treatment of plants have their
effect upon tomato breeding. Poor soils and insufficient culti-
vation tend to revert the variety.

Keeping quality evidently has not been generally taken into
consideration, up to the present time, in breeding the tomato.
Experiments at the Cornell, New York, station go to show that
solid varieties may not be the best keepers.

Hvbridizing between the larger varieties and the clustered,
or currant tomatoes, generally results in producing fruit inter-
mediate in size.

Crosses between the large or potato-leafed and common-
leafed varieties usually result in an intermediate foliage.

The red varieties seem to have the power to stamp their
color on the offspring of crosses with other colors.

Varieties of tomatoes mix very readily when grown in the
same field. Pure seed should be selected from isolated varieties.

The tomato, as with other crops, needs a rotation. The
plants grown on the same land from year to year, although
highly fertilized, naturally degenerate in time.

In order to secure results from crossing the tomato, one can-
not be too well acquainted with the parent varieties, nor have
too clearly defined plans of procedure. Haphazard crossing is
of little value.

When the parents are very different in character, the chances
are that the offspring will be weak, while the offspring of
closely related species or races is likely to be very vigorous.

ORIGIN OF TOMATOES

The evolution of our cultivated tomatoes is interesting. The
two species from whicli all our garden varieties have originated
are Lycopersicufn pimpbtelllfoliitm and Lycopei-siciim escu-
le?ttum. The former includes the " Currant" varieties, which
are small and borne in large clusters, sometimes spoken of as
the "Raisin" tomatoes. This species is a South American
variety, and is found growing wild in both Brazil and Peru.
Although known for some time, comparatively little use has
been made of them, except for pickles, preserves, and for orna-
mentation.

26 NOTES OX TOMATO BREEDING

L. esculentuvi is the species from which our commercial
tomatoes come. It is thought also to have originated in Peru,
although it has been found in other countries, as in Mexico and
California, in a form similar to the cherry tomato.

HISTORY OF GROWTH

While the tomato was known in Europe as far back as 1561,
but four varieties were found in England in 1819. In these
early days it was grown mainly for ornament. Prof. Munson
finds that the fruit was first introduced into this country at Phil-
adelphia by a French refugee from St. Domingo, in 179S ; and
again by an Italian painter, Come, at Salem, Mass., about 1S02.
The beginning of general culture of the tomato for market is
placed at about 1830. From this time up to the present, the
evolution of the tomato has been steady. From the flat, rough,
and angular tomatoes, beautiful^ round, regular fruits have
been developed. The Paragon variety was the first to be so
developed. Since then other superior varieties have come and
gone. One would think further improvement almost an impos-
sibility, but doubtless the advancement of the next ten years
will be as great, if not greater, than that of the last decade.

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