282 VEGETABLE FORCING 



fruit and in the larger total yield. There is but slight 

 difference in the average size of fruit produced under the 

 two methods of training, but on the whole the fruits of 

 the single-stem plants seem to be slightly the larger." 



The advantages of single-stem training over two-stem 

 training are not so marked, and yet the fact that prac- 

 tically all of the most extensive growers of forced to- 

 matoes use the single-stem system is a strong testimony 

 in its favor. It is doubtful whether growers are ever 

 justified in using any other system of training. It is the 

 simplest and most satisfactory in every respect. 



There are various ways of supporting the plants. The 

 commonest is to tie them to twine or cord stretched from 

 the base of the plants to wires or rafters above the plants. 

 Many growers stretch wires above each row, running the 

 full length of the house. They may be secured at the 

 ends in any convenient way and fastened with staples to 

 the rafters, or by other means if desired. Sometimes 

 wires are also stretched across the beds at the surface of 

 the ground, but they interfere with tillage and are an un- 

 necessary expense. Twine (binder twine is excellent) 

 looped to the base of the plants and tied taut to the wire 

 above will be very satisfactory. Waid recommends the 

 use of "screw wires" of No. 10 or 11 wire which are 

 screwed 4 or 5 inches into the soil close to each plant. 

 These are provided with a loop at the top to which the 

 twine is tied. Waid gives the following description in 

 the Market Growers' Journal of a simple device for the 

 making of these wire screws : 



"It consists of a piece of inch and a quarter pipe about 6 inches 

 long, through which a ^-inch pipe is run, extending out at one 

 end far enough to attach a handle, and at the other about 5 inches. 

 Two holes are bored in the smaller pipe, each just large enough 

 to admit the wire. One hole is near the end of the pipe and the 

 other about 4 inches from the end or close to the end of the larger 

 pipe. The larger pipe is placed in a vise and the device is ready 

 for operation. The wire is cut 10 to 12 inches in length, one end 



