188 Subtropical Vegetable-Gardening 



Trellising. 



The trellising of tomatoes is carried on in parts of the 

 United States where tomatoes are selling at a low figure, 

 and yet it is found profitable to do this work. In preparing 

 the trellis, posts are placed in the ground at proper distances 

 and two or three wires attached to these, much as in vine- 

 yards. The tomatoes are then tied to the wires, or if the 

 wires have been placed close enough together, the plants 

 are simply trained to them. 



Either staking or trellising should be practiced in the 

 South, where a late summer or early fall crop is wanted 

 for home use. For a small garden it pays to prune and 

 trellis. 



Picking tomatoes. 



The picking season is the busiest of the year for the 

 tomato-grower. If his crop is ready to go forward, it 

 must be put on the market without delay. The loss of 

 twenty-four hours may often work a damage of $100 on a 

 single car-load; consequently everything should be in 

 readiness, and all the necessary hands ready to go to work. 

 During the cool winter months, the tomatoes must be 

 allowed to assume a light color or even a slight tinge of 

 red before picking, otherwise they will arrive in the market 

 too green. During the warm summer months these 

 same tomatoes would have arrived in the market over- 

 ripe ; therefore, the tomatoes must be allowed to become 

 riper on the vines in cold weather than in the warm 

 part of the year. In the warm spring months, it is suffi- 

 cient to allow the tomatoes to become full-grown and 



