TOMATO 265 



reached for the pruning, tying, spraying and harvesting 

 of the fruit. 



Varieties of tomatoes which are used for forcing differ 

 widely in habit of growth and character of fruit. It can- 

 not be said that any variety in cultivation is ideal even 

 for any one market or section of the country, for, while 

 we have excellent sorts, there is much that should be 

 done to improve them, and the progress being made in 

 this direction is exceedingly encouraging. 



In the selection of a variety for forcing, the first factor 

 to consider is the plant. Has it the ability to mature a 

 heavy crop? This question is fundamental in impor- 

 tance. Generally speaking, plants with short internodes 

 are the most prolific. They bear the first clusters of 

 fruit near the surface of the ground and a maximum 

 number of clusters is produced on plants of a given 

 height. The foliage of the plants should be highly re- 

 sistant to disease. In this respect, there is abundant 

 opportunity for improvement. In the matter of area or 

 extent of leaf surface, there is some difference of opinion 

 as to what is best. Theoretically, it would seem that 

 plants with small leaves or sparse foliage would be most 

 suitable for greenhouse culture, because such plants 

 interfere the least in admitting light and in securing free 

 circulation of air. In practice, however, most growers 

 pride themselves upon the vigor and even the size of the 

 leaves. The writer has seen expert growers handle large, 

 healthy, green leaves with as much delight as a stockman 

 would fondle a pet calf. Abundant foliage is apparently 

 essential in the production of large, well-ripened fruit. 



English varieties, such as Comet, produce more to- 

 matoes in a cluster than do American varieties, such as 

 the Globe. This tendency to set a very large number of 

 fruits may require a certain amount of thinning in order 

 to obtain specimens of marketable size. 



Earliness is an important factor. If a certain variety 



