Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-07-18
IMPROVED VEGETABLES
PRODUCTS OF THE GARDEN THAT
ARE MARKET FEATURES
seedless Tomatoes, Climbing Cucum-
bers, Squatting Lima Beans and
Other Marvels.
from the New York Mail and Express.

FROM the New York Mail and Express
Never in the history of market gardening
have such fine fruits and vegetables been
seen IN the local markets as now and all
because the man with the hoe-at least he
VINO helps to supply the big cities with
their daily supply Of fresh garden truck
Is more wide-awake to the demands of the
hour than his city brother gives him credit
for being
II one We're to compare the flavor, sub
stance, appearance and general good quail
ties of the vegetables sold here ten years
ago with what are offered in the markets
today the difference would be striking
even to those who know little of such mat
ters
New Tomatoes
Probably no more striking example of the
progress made in the time mentioned can
be found than is furnished by the tomato.
Here is an humble product of the garden.
beloved by all men who have a proper
fondness for good things, that has been so
changed and improved of late as hardly to
know itself. And 1t is strange vet true
that the improvement in the tomato has
been due largely to the discovery of that
popular ailment, appendicitis.
Nhen the surgeons first established the
1act that appendicitis and collie We're NOT
one and the same thing, and begun to oner-
ate for the relief and cure of appendicitis
there was much discussion as to the cause
OF the then dread affiiction. The convic-
tlon soon became general that it was due
to the presence of foreign bodies in the an
pendlx, such as fruit and vegetable seeds
ana thereupon, the doom of the tomato
was SOUNDED because of the many seeds
contained In it. There were large and
small and highly colored tomatoes in the
market, but all were full of seeds Here
then. was serious situation confronting
ers generally.
Met the Situation.
There were then and there are still men
VINO make specially of tomato growing
and who originate all the new varieties
that are offered to the growers. These did
not despair, but said If the public wouldn't
eat tomato with seeds in it they'd grow a
tomato without seeds. And they did Not
entirely without seeds, to be sure but with
SO few seeds in them as to justify the as
sertlon of the originators that they had pro-
auceu a seedless tomato; whereupon the to-
mato was restored to popular favor
But that was not the only change made
IN the tomato. Without the great number
OF seeds they were found to be far sweeter
IN mayor. rms flavor was retained while
the size and soldity were increased untiI
To-Day there are tomatoes running uD 10
SIX inches in diameter from two to four
pounds each in weight, that are as solid as
that last from the first picking until the
coming of frost and of which as high as
twenty tons have been taken from single
acre The tomato specialists are Justly
proud Of their accomplishment.
Bush Beans.
But improvement in other directions has
been just as great and often without such
good reason. Many gardeners objected to
the old way of growing lima beans They
didn't want to go to the expense of cutting
poles and sticking them in the ground for
the beans to run up on, and it took the
Deans long while to mature, anyway; SO
they turned out bush lima bean which
grows only two feet high, needs no support
and upon which the beans mature quickly
ana In great Quantities. While they were
at it they originated a new lot of string
beans which were ready for the market ali
of two weeks earlier than the usual kinds.
which were really stringless and so tender
they snapped when not picked carefuIIv
That was another big stride