176 Commercial Gardening 



tion of Tomatoes in the open air is attended with a certain amount of 

 risk. The method of growing in Jersey has been already referred to 

 at p. 166. Generally speaking, Tomatoes are a paying crop in the open 

 air in hot summers, but are scarcely worth the trouble in most parts 

 of the kingdom in cold, cheerless, and rainy seasons. 



To ensure a fair measure of success the seeds should be sown under 

 glass in March, and the young plants should be grown on as quickly 

 as possible in 5-in. pots, and should be well hardened off, so that by the 

 end of May, or early in June, they will be ready for the open air. The 

 ball of soil round the roots should not be disturbed more than necessary, 

 and if the stem is sunk in the soil almost to the lowest leaf, new root- 

 lets will soon develop from the buried portion of the stem. The plants 

 should be about 18 in. apart in the rows, and these should be 3 ft. 

 apart, or two rows of plants may be 18 in. apart every way, and then 

 a pathway 3 ft. wide should be left between every two rows. This 

 will allow space for tying and for using the hoe frequently on the 

 surface soil. Wherever possible, the rows should run north and south, 

 to secure the maximum amount of light for the leaves and heat for the 

 soil. Each plant should have a bamboo stake about 4 ft. long placed 

 to it at the time of planting. Such stakes will cost from 30s. to 35s. per 

 1000, but will last for several years with ordinary wear. 



Owing to the shortness of the season, only three or four trusses of 

 fruit are allowed to develop and ripen on the plants. Some growers allow 

 two stems instead of one to develop, each one being topped when one 

 or two trusses of fruit have set. It is doubtful if there is any advan- 

 tage to be gained in this way, as at least one, and probably two trusses 

 of flowers have set on the single stem while the double one is only in 

 the process of development. 



Cultivation during the season should consist of a good hoeing at 

 least once a fortnight to crumble the surface soil, to keep down weeds 

 and insect pests, to liberate fresh food, to absorb dews, and, above all, 

 in hot seasons to check evaporation of moisture from the soil. Treated 

 in this way the Tomato plants will grow vigorously and fruit well, and 

 will in all probability be quite free from fungoid diseases if the stock 

 has been raised from healthy seed. In the event of disease appearing, 

 any affected plants should be taken up immediately and burned, and the 

 space in which they stood should be well dusted with flowers of sulphur 

 or watered with a solution of sulphate of copper. It would not be worth 

 while replanting. 



The profits to be obtained in good seasons from an acre of outdoor 

 Tomatoes are worth working for. Taking 9000 plants to an acre and 

 that is quite sufficient there ought to be no great difficulty in obtaining 

 an average of 3 Ib. of fruit from each plant if they are cultivated and not 

 allowed to grow anyhow. This would give a yield of 27,000 Ib. to the 

 acre. At Id. per pound the gross return would be 112, 10s. Allowing 

 10 for labour, 25 for commission, &c., and 5 for rent and rates, there 



