FRESH TOMATOES DURING WINTER. 



397 



or feed room where there is no dampness. 

 They keep much better in a dry room free 

 from frost than in a cellar. If put in the 

 cellar in early fall the heat and moisture 

 causes them to rot in a short time. By 



keeping them in a dry room just above t!:e 

 freezing point I have had them until May 

 24. Citrons and watermelons can be kept 

 the same way, but the latter will not keep 

 longer than Christmas." 



Tomatoes Until Christmas 



U T CAN have ripe tomatoes for use until 

 A near Christmas," said Mr. Jas. Gib- 

 bard, of Doncaster, to a member of The 

 Horticulturist staff who visited his place a 

 short time ago. " Just before frost comes 

 the green ones are picked and stored in a 

 cool dry place. Where there is a dampness 

 they soon rot, and if there is much heat they 

 ripen quickly. 



" I have taken fresh tomatoes to England 

 in that way. When I reached the Old 

 Country they were not quite ripe. If they 

 get any frost before being put away they 

 will not keep." 



Marketing Tomatoes 



( ( 'Tp HERE is good money in growing 

 A early tomatoes for the local niar- 

 ket," said Mr. Wm. Waller, of BartonviUe, 

 to The Horticulturist recently, " but we 

 cannot get rid of all our crop in that v.-ay. 

 A local commission buyer takes great quan- 

 tities, and although more might be obtaiiied 

 on the Hamilton market for a few at a time 

 it pays to sell to him. 



" Selling to the canning factory, also, is 

 not so profitable for the same quality of to- 

 matoes. The commission buyer wants 

 good quality and pays a good average 

 price." 



The Asparagus Bed 



ALTHOUGH asparagus is a whole- 

 some and most profitable garden 

 vegetable it is not widely grown. It is per- 

 fectly hardy and comes in early in the spring 

 when there are few garden crops fit for use. 



Speaking to a representative of The Can- 

 adian Horticulturist who visited his place 

 at Picton recently, Mr. J. E. Terrill said: 

 " I have about four acres of asparagus. I 

 take a good harvest from early in the spring 

 until about July. Then I cease cutting and 

 harrow the beds well. This destroys most 

 of the weeds. The patch is left through- 

 out the summer and in the fall before it 

 ripens the whole is cut oft' level with the 

 ground. A thorough cultivation is then 

 given with the Acme harrow and a light 

 coat of well rotted manure added. 



" The bed is left in this condition over 

 winter. In the spring as soon as warm 

 weather renders the ground fit for cultiva- 

 tion the Acme harrow is again used to pa**- 

 tially mix the manure with the soil. In a 

 very short time the crop is fit for cutting. 

 I prefer to cut when about six inches above 

 the ground, as underground stems are liable 

 to be tough." 



" After w-e stop cutting the crop," said 

 ]\Ir. W. A. Best, gardener for Earl Spencer, 

 Picton, "the asparagus bed is let run until 

 October. Then all the old stems are -:u': 

 off and burned. After that a disc harrow 

 or some such implement is run over thi 

 patch and a heavy coat of rotten manure 

 applied. In the spring it is disced both 

 wavs to work the manure into the soil." 



Tomatoes can be had for slicing up to 

 April or later by taking solid specimens 

 from the vines, being careful not to detach 

 the calyx from the tomato, and preserving 

 them in a solution made of five quarts cf 

 water to one of vinegar. — (W. H. Arm- 

 strong, Cornwall. Ont. 



