RAISING TOMATO PLANTS. 155 
roots are confined in a small space, and they have little 
chance to search for food. And as a matter of practice, 
we find this heavy manuring to be essential to best results. 
It is strange that the notion that tomatoes require a com- 
paratively poor soil should ever have become so widespread. 
It has been held also in regard to outdoor tomatoes, but 
our own experiments, and those of others, have shown that 
that it is generally erroneous (consult pages 53 to 61). 
Raising the plants, and bearing age.— Tomato plants 
are usually grown from seeds, but sometimes from cuttings. 
49. Box cultivation of winter tomatoes. 
Seeds are sown in flats or pots, and the plants are handled 
at least twice before they go into permanent quarters. Cut- 
tings are taken from strong, well-developed branches, and 
are made of the upper 4 or 5 inches of the shoot. Cutting- 
plants struck at the same time as seeds are sown will bear 
sooner than seedlings. Cutting-plants (if made from well- 
