TOMATO 275 



has been used for growing mushrooms, to suitable areas 

 in the field. The land is plowed a few times during the 

 summer and the soil placed on raised beds in the fall for 

 the culture of tomatoes and carnations. Bone meal is 

 generally mixed with the soil when it is transferred to 

 the houses, and the tomato plants are fed with liquid 

 manure after the fruit is set. 



Seed. Very few vegetables are more susceptible to 

 improvement from seed selection than the tomato. 

 Numerous examples could be cited of growers, who, 

 being pleased with certain characteristics of perhaps well- 

 known varieties, have made decided progress in improv- 

 ing them by means of careful seed selection. This state- 

 ment applies to Bonny Best, Lord Roberts, Comet and 

 other prominent greenhouse varieties. In some instances, 

 the improvement has been so marked that a new name 

 has been given the superior strain, as when Peerless was 

 developed as a selection of Lord Roberts. 



Seedsmen often make a specialty of varieties suitable 

 for forcing purposes. In some instances the strains are 

 most excellent and growers would not make a mistake by 

 purchasing such seed. Scores of growers, however, do 

 not care to take any risks in the matter of planting the 

 best seed, so that there is a general and an increasing 

 tendency to make careful selections from plants in their 

 own greenhouses. When an unusually good crop is pro- 

 duced it is possible to save enough seed from robust, 

 productive plants to last five years or even longer, so that 

 it is unnecessary to give this matter attention every year. 



The grower should establish high ideals with reference 

 to the most important points such as color, size and shape 

 of fruit, productiveness of the plants and their ability to 

 resist disease and the desired characteristics should be 

 kept constantly in mind in selecting fruit for seed pur- 

 poses. 



Cuttings. Tomato plants are easily propagated by 

 means of cuttings. They may be made of any convenient 



