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 en-
forces 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 prevail-
ing 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 differ-
ent tests show that the selecting of first-ripe fruit does not tend to
increase the earliness of the progeny. Let it be stated again that
the plant in its general looks and form of fruit has more influ-
ence over the future crop than the shape, form, etc., of the indi-
vidual fruit.*
 In selecting seed much care should be exercised to get the
best; this will always be found the cheapest in the end. A dol-
lar or two should not be taken into consideration when purchas-
ing seed. If one saves his own seed it is of the greatest important e
that care should be taken to save the best. 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 31 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 accli-
mated 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
Sthe plant is lowered.
 *Md. 2d Rep., p. 40.