88 



VEGETABLE GROWING IN NEW SOUTH WALES. 



The plants are put in trellised rows 4 ft. or 4 ft. 6 in. apart, and 15 in. 

 apart in the rows. The trellises are made of 3 in. x 2 in. or 3 in. x 3 in. 

 posts, 9 ft. apart with light 2 in. x 1 in. battens nailed to them, and lath& 

 fastened perpendicularly every 15 in. Where long rows can be laid out, it 

 will be cheaper to use wire to support the laths. A tomato plant is set out 

 at the base of each lath. 



After planting out the weather is watched for late frosts (a peculiar hard- 

 ness in the air generally indicating a coming frost). In such cases the 

 practice is to put a ti-tree bush on the south-west side of each plant. This 

 shelters the plant from the cold winds, but leaves it open to the sun on the 

 north. No tomatoes have ever been lost by frost. 



The following artificial manures are used with great success, being applied 

 at the rate of 3 cwt. per acre : 



Quantity per 

 half ton. 



Sulphate of ammonia ... ... ... 3 cwt. 



Superphosphate ... ... ... ... ... 4J cwt. 



^Sulphate of potash ... ... ... ... 2| cwt. 



10 CWt. 



Pruning is the most important operation in the whole process. It is no- 

 exaggeration to say that, by careful pruning, the tomatoes are made to ripen 

 a month earlier than they otherwise would. 



All lateral growth of shoots 

 is pinched off, leaving only the 

 main stem, which is trained up 

 the lath. A lateral shoot starts 

 from just above a leaf on the 

 main stem. The leaf is not 

 interfered with, but the shoot 

 is pinched off as close to 

 the stem as possible without 

 damaging the leaf (see accom- 

 panying figure). 



The trusses of bloom which give the fruit are thrown out along the main 

 stem. Care is to be taken not to injure these when pruning. When the 

 main stem reaches the top of tne lath it is pinched off, but not before. 

 This pruning is practised regularly about once a week. Whenever laterals 

 appear they are pinched off. 



* At the present time this salt is unobtainable, but the potash in the fertiliser can be 

 supplied by using a similar quantity of muriate of potash, or by means of wood ashes 

 added to the soil two or three weeks previously, 13 to 14 cwt. of wood ashes being, 

 equal in potash content to 1 cwt. sulphate of potash. 



