March 27, 1902 



The Weekly Florists^ Review, 



631 



Branched Rubber Grown by Fred H. Dressel, Weehawken, N. J. 



liquid produced by soaking sheep man- 

 ure, and take good care that it is not 

 given stronger than the plants can take 

 it up. Twice a week is often enough to 

 apply it. I use sulphate of ammonia at 

 the rate of one-fourth of an ounce to one 

 gallon of water, applying it about six 

 times in all, but discontinue it when 

 the buds begin to color. Some varieties 

 can be given more than others. Those 

 that are inclined to damp should te given 

 all the less. It should be borne in mind 

 that sulphate of ammonia is more of a 

 stimulant than a feeder, hence it should 

 be changed oflf with other liquid man- 

 vire and not given too often without in- 

 termission. 



BRANCHED RUBBERS. 



The accompanying engraving is from 

 a photograph of a branched rubber plant 

 grown by Mr. Fred. H. Dressel, Wee- 

 hawken, N. J. Mr. Dressel's method of 

 producing these branched plants is as 

 follows: 



He makes strong cuttings with six to 

 eight leaves in November or December, 

 putting in sand with a twnperature of 

 70 to 80 degrees. They make roots in 

 about three weeks, when they are potted 

 in 3-ineh pots and the pots replaced in 

 the sand until the plants are thoroughly 

 rooted. They are then changed to a 

 house with a temperature of 60 to 70 

 degrees, shifting to larger pots as 

 needed, and kept growing steadily. 



The last of May or first of June the 

 plants are taken out of doors, accustom- 

 ing them gradually to the outside air 

 and shading from the sun. The pots are 

 plunged in the ground and the surface 

 covered with two inches of well-rotted 

 manure. They are thoroughly watered 

 and syringed every night during the 

 summer. 



In September they are takeu up and 

 put in .suitable sized pots, and put under 

 shade for about two weeks, with the pots 



plunged in a foot of manure until the 

 loots show around the pots, when the 

 shade is removed. 



The branching is entirely natural, no 

 extraordinary method of any kind being 

 used. The only "secret" is in the extra 

 strength of the cuttings and keeping 

 the plants always in a strong growing 

 condition. 



TOMATO FORCING. 



The growing of tomatoes can be made 

 very profitable in places wheie the Flor- 

 ida and Havana product does not come 

 in competition. While the southern 

 goods are not in the same class with 

 the home grown product, owing to the 

 fact that the fruit must be gathered 

 when only just turned white in order 

 to get it on the market in good shape, 

 still to many people a tomato is a to- 

 mato, in Januai-y, and if they can buy 

 tomatoes at 30 cents a lb., they hate to 

 pay 50 cents. Still, there is generally a 

 class of trade in any city that is willing 

 to pay a higher price for a good article, 

 and while I have seen tomatoes run as 

 high as 75 cents, there is a margin of 

 profit in them at 35 cents per lb. in mid- 

 winter, and gradually running down to 

 15 cents by June, providing a good crop 

 is secured. 



If one cannot- devote a house to this 

 crop, many plants can be grown in 

 boxes at the warm dry ends of the 

 houses; in fact, I would recommend a 

 beginner to commence this way, in order 

 to become familiar with handling the 

 crop, for tomatoes are not the easiest of 

 crops to grow. 



Seed sown by the first of August will 

 produce plants that should come into 

 full bearing by Christmas, and if the 

 plants keep free from disease and have 

 sulficient head room, they will continue 

 to bear fruit until May or June. Or 

 seed can be sown in December to give a 

 large spring crop. As soon as the seed- 



lings are large enough to handle they 

 should be pricked out into flats, and 

 potted on as soon as they need it. An 

 important point to observe is to keep 

 the young plants as stocky and thrifty 

 as possible. 



If the plants are to be set out I would 

 always recommend bench culture in pref- 

 erence to solid beds, because if the roots 

 are not restricted the plants will often 

 start to make a lot of rank growth in- 

 stead of commencing to fruit. The plants 

 may be kept to a single stem, and 18 

 inches apart is not too wide to plant. 

 If two steins are taken up more space 

 should be given. 



The soil should be good fibrous loam 

 with a little well rotted manure added, 

 and should be firmly pounded to help 

 keep the plants short jointed. Water 

 sufficiently and do not let the paths get 

 dry, but keep the water off the foliage 

 if you do not wish to get your foliage 

 diseased. In the bright weather of fall 

 and spring the fruits will set easily 

 enough, but during the winter months 

 artificial pollination must be resorted 

 to. This is easily accomplished by go- 

 ing over the flowers on bright mornings, 

 when the atmosphere of the house is 

 dr_v, with a small brush. This will rub 

 the pollen on to the end of the pistil and 

 the crop is thereby assured. 



All side shoots should be removed, 

 and if the head room is restricted the 

 tips of the shoots can be taken out after 

 each bunch of fruit that shows. New 

 leaders will form quickly enough and the 

 pinching can be repeated. I would not 

 recommend this method where the plants 

 have head room, because I think they 

 keep stronger and more healthy if 

 grown on uninterruptedly. 



As regards temperature, 65 degrees 

 nights and 75 degrees days will be found 

 most satisfactory when the fruit is set- 

 ting, but when the plants are small, 10 

 degrees lower will be much better to 

 start them, as the young stock must be • 

 kept short jointed. It is claimed by 

 some growers that rooting cuttings, and 

 growing them on is preferable to raising 

 seedlings, because they keep more dwarf. 

 Possibly they may, but I prefer the seed- 

 lings, which have more native vigor and 

 are consequently not so prone to disease. 



The worst enemy of the tomato is a 

 fungus, named Phytophora, according to 

 Nicholson. This is identical with the 

 fungus that attacks the potato leaf, and 

 when the plants are badly infested it 

 seems hopeless to try to eradicate it. I 

 have seen it grow right through Bor- 

 deaux when that mixture has been ap- 

 plied. This disease may in any but the 

 most unfavorable seasons be kept away 

 by never spraying the foliage, and see- 

 ing that the atmosphere is always pure 

 and dry on wet days and foggy nights. 

 A little white fly is a bad pest sometimes. 

 Persistent fumigation will get the bet- 

 ter of him, but he dies hard. 



It will be found that bone meal is the 

 best fertilizer to use for tomatoes, but 

 it should not be used until a crop of 

 fruit is set. When the vines are in full 

 bearing they need lots of feeding to sus- 

 tain ihem, but if fertilizers are applied 

 before this period, a quick soft growth 

 will result that will not set fruit until 

 the fertilizer is getting exhausted. 



Many people have become discouraged 

 on seeing their tomatoes run up six feet 

 and not a fruit to show. Too much 

 nitrogen is responsible for this, but once 

 a good crop of fruit is set the plants 

 will stand liquid applications of nitrate 



