Tomato Notes for 1892. 279 



The figures show that the earliest fruits were got from the 

 earliest sowings, but at the end of August the third sowing (Feb- 

 ruary twenty-fourth) had exceeded the earlier ones in yield, it 

 was not until the middle and late September picldngs that the 

 fourth lot began to gain over the others, and by the last of the 

 month it had surpassed them all in yield. Our experiments of 

 four years ago show that it is profitable to start tomato seeds in 

 this climate as early as the middle of March; our exi)eriments 

 this year show that it is not profitable to start them earlier than 

 the middle or first of March. But inasmuch as earlier fruits 

 can be got by earlier sowings, it may be worth while to start a 

 small part of the crop in the middle or first of February if an 

 early market is to be supplied; but the cost of this extra care and 

 handling must be reckoned. The main crop, it appears, should 

 be started in March. 



But it must be said that much depends upon the manner in 

 which the plants are handled. Early plants must be transplanted 

 to keep them growing, and they must have congenial surround- 

 ings. We tried to determine the effect of ill-treatment. A lot of 

 vigorous seedlings, in pots, were placed in a cold and leaky house. 

 The pots were packed in moss and set upon a cold, damp earth 

 floor. Several times the mercury fell nearly to the freezing point. 

 The plants became yellow and weak, and were finally unable to 

 support themselves readily. In this condition the plants were 

 taken into the tomato-house and given the most f-areful nursing. 

 They never outgrew the disaster. Yet plants little better than 

 these are often set in the field to shift for themselves! 



6. Few and several transplantings. — The vigor and stockiuess 

 of plants, as we have said in the last paragraph, ai-e important 

 features, and these are greatly influenced by the frequency of 

 transplanting. Two dozen uniform Ignotum plants were selected 

 from a sowing made in flats March fourteenth. One dozen were 

 transplanted once, May eighteenth, into four-inch pots; the others 

 were transplanted three times, April fourteenth. May ninth and 

 seventeenth, into a flat, three-inch and four-inch pots, respect- 

 ively. All were again transplanted into the field June first. 



