100 



THE CANADIAN HORTICULTURIST 



April, 1913 



Henderson's Ponderosa Tomatoes 



Two eteme were allowed to grow. The 



illxistratiofl ehowB the manner of 



staking and tying. 



if one has a sunny window and an even 

 temperature indoors. Little boxes should 

 Ix; prepared with nice, loose, loamy soil, 

 and the seeds planted in twos or threes 

 about three inches apart. When they 

 come up, the plants which show the 

 strongest growth should be selected to 

 live and the rest nipped off. The seeds 

 should l>e in the boxes from the first 

 to the middle of March, as under such 

 conditions the growth is slow. During 

 growth the soil should be kept from 

 coal gas or bad air. Of course, if you 

 wish you may buy the plants from the 

 professional gardener. But it is best to 

 make sure that he is a reliable man, re- 

 liable not only in honesty, but also in 

 ability, as otherwise you may get plants 



that arc not just the varieties you want. 

 If one wishes early fruit, the plants 

 should be in the ground early. It is best 

 to start in the boxes more than one is 

 likely to need. A few should be set out 

 as soon as the ground is ready, regard- 

 less of the danger of frost. Then if 

 there is none you will be the gainer. 

 If a frost is anticipated, the plants can 

 be protected by paper or cardboard 

 coverings. But if the worst happens 

 and the frost kills them while the house- 

 holders are away on a visit new plants 

 can be set out from the reserve supply. 



_ TRAIN "nHiE VINES 



If the city gardener is satisfied with 

 any kind of fruit he may let the vines 

 sprawl all over the ground at their own 

 sweet will. If, however, he wants a 

 first quality of fruit, his vines should be 

 trained off the ground. This may be 

 done in two ways, on posts, allowing a 

 post to each plant, or on a trellis. The 

 method the grower adopts should de- 

 pend on the nature of the garden. He 

 may save space by having a trellis along 

 some sunny wall. But the experience 

 of the writer has been that the tomato 

 plant does not grow well along a wall 

 or fence. It needs plenty of light and 

 air all about it. 



The plants shown in the accompany- 

 ing illustrations were grown on stakes. 

 This method is good in a small garden- 

 where space is at a premium. On the 

 same principle that in a crowded city it 

 pays to put up high buildings, the toma- 

 to plant can be made to economize space 

 by training it up into the air. 



LET TWO SHOOTS €rEOTV 



In regard to the training of the plants 

 it has been the practice of the writer to 

 allow two shoots of each plant to grow. 

 All the rest as they appear in the axils 

 of the leaves are nipped off. Then up go 

 the ones selected to live. If properly cared 

 for the plants will begin to bear close to 

 the ground and will keep up the game 

 until the autumn frosts prevent further 

 expansion. 



The plants shown in one of the accom- 



Smooth Rough and Wrinkled 



This illustration shows how the ahape of tomatoes may be imDroved by selection 



and careful cultivation. 



panying illustrations were allowed to 

 grow to the extent of two shoots each, 

 and when about five feet high were al- 

 lowed to branch. They ultimately grew 

 to a height of eight feet six inches and 

 produced a wonderful crop of clean, lus- 

 cious fruit. They were Chalk's Earl> 

 Jewel, and were planted in the hous< 

 about the middle of March. They were 

 planted in a central f)osition and wert- 

 not affected by the early frosts which 

 destroyed plants in more exposed posi- 

 tions. 



now TO TIE 



As the plants grow the new growth 

 must be tied to the stake before it can 

 droop. The tying must not be too tight, 

 but mu.st allow for the swelling of the 

 stem. If too tight the stem is pinched, 

 and the sap prevented Crom rising. In 

 tying a soft, cheap string should be used. 

 A hard string or twine will not do so 

 well as it cuts the tender surface of the 

 stems. 



Land for tomatoes shotild be rich, 

 loose and loamy, but don't be discourag- 

 ed if the land you have does not conform 

 to this description. Work up what you 

 have even if it be mixed with bits of 

 brick and the scraps of broken china that 

 have been thrown out of the house. Stir 

 in a liberal supply of stable manure, and 

 you will get results the first year, and 

 better ones the next year if you stick to 

 it. But, of course, the better the soil the 

 better the results if all the other points 

 are attended to. 



There are other things than fruit and 

 vegetables to be gained from handling 

 a small plot of ground. Health, p»eace, 

 contentment, knowledge and a preserva- 

 tion of man's best instincts are wrapped 

 up in ihre cultivation of a garden. 



Vegetables and Their Sprays 



Prof. E. M. Straight 



When we ask men to spray the gar- 

 den, we are often met by the objection : 

 "Spraying is all right, but we shall 

 never put poison on that part of a vege- 

 table which later we intend to eat!'" 

 When the case of potatoes is cited, 

 which already they are spraying, we are 

 again told that that is different, for the 

 potatoes are under ground, while only 

 the top is touched by the spray. There 

 ran be no possible danger from this 

 score. It has been shown that from 

 eigtit to ten barrels of apples must be 

 eaten at one time, and immediately 

 after spraying, to get any bad result 

 from arsenic. A few days after an ap 

 plication, there is not enough poison 

 remaining to kill a canker worm. The 

 same is true of copper. Thousands of 

 sprayed plants must be eaten to get a 

 tonic dose of copper, and many more 

 are required to kill. .'\ wagon load of 

 celery must be eaten at one time to get 

 sufficient copper to injure a man, so the 

 danger is not great. 



