Show tomatoes in minnesota the results of experiments with tomatoes to ascertain the value of pruning and training the plants to stakes as compared with allowing them to run along the ground are reported on from the minnesota station eighteen varieties were employed in the experiment three plants of each variety being set three feet apart and trained to stakes and three others set five feet apart and allowed to spread along the ground the trained plants were pruned to a single stem and no side allowed to grow the results wore found to vary according to the varieties tested chomin market earliest of all northern light and terra gotta ripened fruit on the staked plants first while in all the other varieties there was no difference in the date of maturity or else the staked plants ripened their fruit later the general result of the experiments indicates that greater earliness and productiveness ti veness were to bo found where the plants were allowed to lie naturally along the ground in the ordinary way dwarf champion and early acme gave the largest yields A study of the extent to which the tomatoes wore affected with rot showed that 43 per cent of the staked tomatoes rotted while only 19 per cent of tho arnit grown on the ground was so affected descriptive comparative notes are given on 16 varieties tho variety earliest of all proved to be the earliest 0 those tested |