TOMATO 291 



and are effective under different conditions. The most 

 thorough method is to collect the pollen grains in a 

 shallow receptacle like a glass or a small ladle and then 

 to pass from flower to flower. The receptacle, attached 

 to a slender handle about 15 to 18 inches long, is held 

 under the flower, which is tapped or jarred with a spatula 

 or a small stick. If the flowers are sufficiently developed 

 to be discharging pollen, a visible quantity of the grains 

 will soon be collected, and then the operator proceeds 

 from flower to flower, holding the ladle so that the 

 stigmas of each pistil will come into contact with the 

 pollen grains as each flower is tapped. The quantity of 

 pollen gradually increases as the work proceeds. This 

 seems like a very slow, tedious task, but the increased 

 yields may more than pay for the expense involved. 

 This method is especially desirable, because of its thor- 

 oughness, for use during the winter months. 



Some growers pass from flower to flower with a 

 camel's hair brush. Under favorable conditions sufficient 

 pollen will adhere to the brush to make the method fairly 

 effective, but it is not as thorough as when a shallow 

 receptacle is used. 



The commonest plan in pollinating for the spring crop 

 is to jar the plants. This is generally done with a padded 

 stick or perhaps a piece of rubber hose placed over a 

 stick of convenient length. The stem of the plant should 

 be tapped near the flowers which it is desired to pollen- 

 ize. Growers who use a rigid wire trellis simply jar it 

 at intervals of several feet. This plan results in heavy 

 settings of fruit when English varieties are used, such as 

 Comet and Peerless. When the jarring method is used 

 the plants or trellises should have daily attention. Every 

 other day is considered sufficient when each flower is 

 separately pollinated. 



Inasmuch as the earliest fruits command the highest 

 prices, and weather conditions are usually most unfavor- 



