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THE TOMATO, AND ITS USES. 



BY ME. JAMES CUTHILL, OF CAMBEEWELL. 



HE seed of this esteemed esculent is sown round London 

 in March and April, in shallow pans or boxes in light 

 soil, and then placed in heat. AVhen the plants are 

 about two inches high, plant into small pots in rich 

 mould. When the plants fill the pots with roots, shift 

 into a size larger, and by this time they can be put into a much 

 cooler place. The plants are now topped, and are planted out in 

 May. Mr. George Bagley, of Eulham, showed me Ins crop three 

 years running, every plant covered with fruit from bottom to top, 

 each plant only allowed two shoots, trained up the walls, one foot 

 apart each shoot. The great secret is in pinching off the head con- 

 tinually, just at the bunch of fruit, for, if allowed to grow two or 

 more eyes, then they would lose their fruiting in luxuriance of 

 growth. This pinching of the head is continued to the height that 

 the plant is grown to (about three feet high or so), and this height 

 is quite enough for the plants to ripen off their luxuriant and splen- 

 did loaded crop. In tlie above management not one shoot nor any 

 superfluous foliage is allowed to drain the resources of the plant. 

 The fruit also ripens at least a month earlier than by the old system. 

 I have always stopped my cucumbers in the trellis in the pits at every 

 joint, but never thought of doing it with the tomato. Mr. Bagley 

 had not only his dwarf walls covered with the tomato, but he had 

 ridges thrown up facing the south, and straw spread on the south 

 side of the ridge to keep the mould from being washed down, also to 

 keep the plant and fruit clean, and mulched at the bottom, to prevent 

 the sun from drying the earth round the roots. Mr. Bagley also had 

 this plant growing up sticks in the centre of his marrows, all grown 

 on the same system, and all loaded with heavy crops. My principal 

 object is to encourage the cottager to grow this plant for his own 

 consumption ; every one has a bit of garden ground, and he could 

 always beg a few plants from the nearest gentleman's gardener, if he 

 has no convenience to raise them himself. The Americans eat the 

 love apple raw, just the same as our labourers eat onions. But it is 

 to make sauce that I recommend its growth. Now, before I found 

 out the simple way of making the plant bear a heavy crop, I dare 

 not have recommended the cottager to waste his time about it, for 

 this plant, if allowed to grow anyhow, is the most barren of any 

 plant I know of ; and, when fruit is produced, half of it never ripens 

 at all. A simple and easy way to make tomato sauce is — when ripe, 

 cut them into slices, taking out the seed ; lay the pulp down in layers 

 of salt for a day or two ; put all into a stewpan, and add two or 

 three shallots, or an onion or two, and Cayenne pepper, but a capsi- 

 cum or chili would answer the same purpose ; boil all for two hours 

 gently, then put it through a sieve, then boil again for two hours 

 or more. Now this is one grand secret in all preserves — if they are 

 not boiled to evaporate all water out of the preserve they never keep ; 



