GROUND CHERRY 



277 



should therefore be gathered and burned or buried a foot 

 or more deep, where they will not be disturbed in the spring. 

 Some varieties are much more liable to rot than others. 

 The Dwarf Champion is perhaps less affected than many 

 other kinds. Experiments with spraying the young 

 fruit with Bordeaux mixture or a solution of sulphide 

 of potassium at the rate of one-half ounce per gallon, are 

 said to have given good results in some cases, but it is 

 generally considered impracticable to do this, on account 

 of the labor necessary to do the work well. They are less 

 liable to rot when growing on new land than on land that 

 has been used for several years in tomatoes. 



GROUND CHERRY, OR STRAWBERRY TOMATO (Physalis sp.) 



Description. Native of North 

 and South America. A perennial. 

 There are several species of Physalis 

 that produce edible fruit. Among 

 those indigenous to northern United 

 States is one quite common in old 

 timber land in northern Minnesota 

 and elsewhere. The fruit resembles 

 a tomato but is about the size of a 

 cherry and is enclosed in a husk 

 formed of the calyx. The seed is 

 dark colored, flat, and round. The 

 fruit is used for preserves and sauces. 



Culture. It is a plant of the F i g . 120. Ground cher- 

 earliest culture and when once sown Ty> or 8trawberr v tomato - 

 generally covers the ground in following years from self- 

 sown seed. The seed should be planted about the first 

 of May. The plants spread about thirty inches. 



