52 THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 
Tomato— continued. 
of sun. The best place for Tomatoes outside is a warm 
south wall; there are generally spaces in such positions, 
unoccupied by fruit-trees, which cannot be more pro- 
fitably furnished. Select the places, and add a few 
spits of turfy soil round each plant when inserting. it. 
The after-treatment consists in keeping the leading 
shoots tacked up as they lengthen, and in pinching off all 
the side ones rather frequently—say, once a fortnight— 
if there are any formed. In dry weather, water should 
be plentifully given if the plants appear to be in want; 
but a mulching of loose, leafy manure or litter will, if 
applied, be of material advantage in preventing this. 
Fruits, when they commence colouring, should be fully ex- 
posed to the sun; this can be done by fastening to one 
side, shortening, or removing altogether, some of the 
leaves which prevent the direct exposure to sunlight. 
When there is danger of frost, any green fruits may be 
cut and placed on a shelf in a warm house or. vinery— 
if it is kept rather dry, so much the better— where 
many of the most forward ones will ripen. The plants, 
and also any part of the crop that is left out, are soon 
destroyed by frost. 
Tomato culture outside, in market gardens, has of 
necessity to be conducted on a different system, as there 
are no south walls as in private gardens. The plants 
are raised in frames, filled with fermenting manure, in 
early spring, and grown on as sturdy as possible, by 
allowing them plenty of air on all favourable occasions. 
Towards the end of May, they are thoroughly hardened 
off by removing the sashes daily; afterwards, they are 
planted in one of the most favourable warm positions at 
command, and still protected until all danger from frost 
is past. Large Red and Conqueror are two of the most 
profitable varieties for outside culture, either in private 
or other establishments: they fruit freely, and the pro- 
duce is large and ripens well, provided the conditions 
under which the plants are placed are such as suit 
Tomatoes outside. 
. When grown in the open ground, the plants may be 
trained to strong stakes about 4ft. high, and the side 
shoots kept well thinned, to allow all the strength to pass 
into the fruits situated on the main. Where there is 
lack of wall space, this method of planting may be 
adopted in any garden; the plants must be strong and 
-= well hardened off before putting them out, and the 
position given them should be well sheltered and one 
of the warmest at command: a south border is most 
desirable. 
Under glass, and with sufficient heat and space at com- 
mand, Tomatoes may be had in greater or less quantity all 
the year round, During summer, when the supply is but 
uncertain from outside plants, it is always advisable to 
have some additional plants fruiting indoors, and from 
these the produce is also superior, because better ripened. 
The plants may be grown in large pots or deep boxes, or 
they may be planted ont in a narrow bed formed with 
loose bricks to allow an inside space of about 2ft. Plenty 
of light is essential; consequently, a span-roofed house 
| from the first. 
is best adapted, although a lean-to answers admirably. | 
Plants raised from cuttings are generally preferred, as 
they are considered to begin bearing earlier, and are 
sometimes less vigorous than seedlings, which is an advan- 
tage in a limited space; but either plan of propagating | 
may be adopted. Cuttings root very readily, if kept close, 
_ anywhere in heat, and either spring or the latter part of | 
summer is the best time for renewing the stock. Young 
plants bear best, and, as they can be so easily raised, it is 
_ preferable to replace old ones rather than keep them after 
the produce begins deteriorating in size and quality. 
Ripe Tomatoes are most valued if procurable during the 
_ winter and in early spring ; the plants intended for bearing 
at these seasons are, therefore, of much importance. 
Cuttings, struck in August, in small, single pots, should be 
Tomato—continued. 
grown on and shifted into larger ones as becomes neces- 
sary, until a 10in. or 12in. size is reached, which will be 
sufficiently large for fruiting them in if pot culture is 
adopted. Even when it is intended to plant in narrow 
borders or in boxes for fruiting, the plants may first be 
grown in pots and transferred to their permanent quarters 
when some of the earlier fruits are set. The mode of 
training should be that of keeping either to a single stem, 
or to two main shoots, all side ones being kept removed 
These shoots should be supported, from an 
early stage, with a stake; and a wire trellis, fixed about 
Yin. or 12in. from the glass, is best to train to afterwards. 
To get two shoots formed of about equal strength, the 
plants should be pinched once when from 6in. to Qin. 
high; and to encourage the production of heavy crops, 
the extreme points may be taken out after each bunch 
of fruits shows: new leaders will form readily, and 
generally additional fruits will appear at their first joints ; 
hence the productiveness at ah early stage, and in a 
small space, secured by this mode of training. This 
frequent stopping is not a necessity where there is plenty 
of space for the plant to grow: it will invariably show 
far more flowers than can be perfected, if the variety is a 
productive one. When sufficient are set for a crop, the 
others which appear may be pinched off. To succeed 
autumn-raised plants, others should be propagated in 
February, and grown on in pots preparatory to being 
placed in permanent positions. A night temperature in 
winter of 55deg. to 60deg., with a rise of 5deg. by day, is 
not too high for Tomatoes. They need a somewhat similar 
temperature to winter Cucumbers, with which they are 
sometimes grown in the same house. If but an occasional 
dish of ripe fruits can be secured in winter, they are 
generally much valued; through the dullest season the 
ripening process goes on but slowly. Throughout the 
summer, Tomatoes may be grown in almost any glass 
structure, or in slightly-heated pits and frames, after the 
latter are cleared of bedding plants, &c., for the season; 
and the crops thereby obtained are more certain to ripen 
than those on plants outside, although in private gardens, 
where a quantity is required, both modes of culture are 
recommended 
Tomatoes need an ample supply of water at all times, 
particularly when growing in pots or in any limited 
space. A rough, turfy compost, with a little decayed 
manure intermixed, will suit them; it is preferable to 
give manure water, or one of the concentrated artificial 
manures, when the fruits begin swelling, than to give 
a very rich compost previously, which would tend to 
induce too vigorous a growth—perhaps at the expense 
of productiveness. 
Fungi. Tomatoes frequently suffer greatly from the 
attacks of the Potato-disease Fungus. See Phyto- 
phthora for an account of this parasite, and of the 
means to be employed against it. 
Insects. Tomato -plants are seldom very seriously 
injured by insects; but in the course of the year 1386 
a species of Aleyrodes (see Snowy Fly) proved very 
destructive, in several localities, to plants in green- 
houses, and more especially to Tomato and Cuenm- 
ber-plants. The species now in question was named 
A. vaporariorum, and figured, by Prof. Westwood, in 
1856. The larve feed on the backs of the leaves, piercing 
the skin and sucking the juices, like the more common 
A. proletella on Cabbages. The pupae are also fixed to 
the leaves; and the perfect insects emerge after a few 
days spent in the pupal stage. The insects differ from 
A. proletella in having milk-white, unspotted wings and 
pale yellow bodies. The leaves occupied by them turn 
yellow, wither, and die. These insects are unable to 
withstand exposure to the open-air temperature of 
England; and are supposed to have been brought from 
Central America or Mexico, with plants of some sort. 
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