288 VEGETABLE FORCING 



others that the danger of early mulching, causing ex- 

 cessive plant growth with more or less hindrance to fruit 

 development, makes it desirable to defer this operation 

 until at least three clusters of fruit are set. The latter 

 policy is certainly safe and is probably followed by the 

 majority of growers. It is also believed by some growers 

 that a mulch kept constantly wet from the first promotes 

 the development and dissemination of diseases. But this 

 is not so likely to occur if the mulch is applied late in the 

 season when there is warm, sunny weather. 



Pollinating. The tomato grower should fully under- 

 stand the function of the various parts of the flower. 

 The green, starlike outer portion is the calyx and its 

 separate parts are known as the sepals. Apparently, the 

 only function of this organ, but a very important one, is 

 to furnish protection to the young, tender buds. The 

 yellow corollas, formed of separate parts called "petals," 

 which in many flowers attract certain insects, do not 

 seem to have any particular functional value in the cul- 

 ture of tomatoes, because bees refuse to visit them and 

 thus to convey pollen from flower to flower. The 

 stamens, the next set of organs, form a tube which in- 

 closes the pistil. They are the male portions of the 

 flower, and the anthers, borne in a column surrounding 

 the pistil, produce the pollen grains which fertilize the 

 central or female organ, the pistil. The top of the pistil 

 is called the stigma, and this is larger than the pedicle 

 below, which is called the style. The base of the pistil 

 is known as the ovary, which contains the ovules in 

 which the seeds develop. 



As the flower matures, the pistil elongates until it 

 generally protrudes above the stamens. The minute, 

 dust-like pollen grains then ripen and, under favorable 

 atmospheric conditions, are discharged into the air, when 

 some of them will lodge on and adhere to the sticky and 

 moist stigma of the same flowers or of other flowers. If 



