Smal Wonder , Northern Delight, and Nodak Early To m atoes A.A. Boe The Depa rt ment of Horticulture a nd Forestry has an- nounced the rel ease of three new tomato varieties, 'Small Wonde r' , 'Northern De lig h t' and 'Nodak Early'. These va r- ieties mature the ir fruit very ea rly a nd are classified as ul tra early . Ultra ea rly to matoes beg in ripening the ir fru it after 1000 heat units between 50 an d 90 degrees Fah renheit. They also ha ve the characteristic of setting fr uit at cool tem- peratures. Small Wonder and Northern Delight are small-fruit ed var- ieties (1- to 2-inch) while Nodak Early bears 3-inch fruit. These are early crop tomatoes an d should be considered fo r use in cool areas and where it is desirable to extend the sea- son with ea rl y fru it . All three of t hese tomato varieties are suitable for fresh use and can al so be used in pr ocessing for juice, sauce or for salsas. Small Wonder is an ultra early cherry toma to . The vine is small. determinate or bush ty pe with good foliage cover. It has been observed to be infected with both septo ri a le af spot and early blight during high humidity seasons. The fruit are a I -ounce globe, bright red and under some conditions will have green shou lders. Each plant bears many fr ui t which ripen over a three- to four-week period. Fruit ripening begins 45 to 50 days after transplanting. This variety is recommended for home a nd market gardens as an ea rly salad toma to . Northern Delight is similar to S ma ll Wonder but has a somewhat la rger vine a nd larger frui t. It is very produc ti ve and the fruit are of good qua lity. It begins to rip en five to seven days later than mall Wond er . Nodak Early is a very ea r ly variety. The plant is compact and determinate with dark green foliage. It s branches are somewhat rigid and hold the fr uit o ff t he soil. The 3-inch fruit are nearly round. They are dark red and of good quali- ty . The frui t ma y have green shoul de rs under certain envi- ronmental con di tions. Fruit ripening begins at about the same ti me as Northern De light and is concentrat ed in to a three to f ou r week period . Seed of these varieties is available fr om the author. Breeders seed will be pro vided to se ed co mp anies. Fruit of 'Small Wonder' Fruit of 'Northern Delight' Boe is chairman, Depart me nt of Horticulture and Forestry . 14