VKUETABLE CUOl'S. 



699 



the seedlings planted out 2 inches apart. This will necessitate much care 

 when planting in the field afterwards; otherwise the plants may receive a 

 severe Bet-back. 



In the hot-bed, whether in pots or not, the plants should be shaded from 

 the bright sun for three or four days after setting out. Then all shading is 

 removed by day, but at night the hessiau blind is let down to protect them 

 from frost. The tomatoes are kept under shelter in this way until all 

 .reasonable danger of severe frosts is gone. 



Trellising. 



The plants are put in trellised rows 4 feet or 4 feet 6 inches apart, and 

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

 ■3 inch x 3 inch posts, 9 feet apart, with light 2 inch x 1 inch battens nailed 

 to them, and laths fastened perpendicularly every 15 inches. But where a 

 man has land in such a position that long rows can be laid out, it will be 

 cheaper to use wire to support the laths. Posts can be placed 18 feet apart, 

 and two wires run — one a foot 

 from the ground and the other 

 4 feet above — so that the top 

 wire is 5 feet from the ground. 

 The posts, of course, need not be 

 of sawn timber. Then the laths 

 may be fastened to the wires 

 every 15 inches with string or tie 

 wire (see illustration). Builder's 

 laths, bamboo sticks, or light 

 saplings will do. They should 

 be long enough to extend from 

 the ground to well above the 

 top wire. Stout wire is some- 

 times used instead of laths, but this often burns the plants in hot weather. 

 A tomato plant is set out at the base of each lath. 



After planting out, a tea-tree bush is placed on the south-west side of 

 each plant if a late frost is anticipated. This shelters the plant from the 

 cold winds," but leaves it open to the sun on the north. 



Trellis 



,-fe*. 



Pruning. 



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

 geration to say that by careful pruning, tomatoes can be made to ripen a 

 month earlier than they otherwise would. 



the mam 

 trained up 

 eral shoot 



All lateral growth of shoots 

 is pinched off, leaving only 

 stem, which is 

 the lath. A lat- 

 starts from just 

 above each leaf on the main 

 stem. The leaf must not be 

 interfered with, but the shoot 

 must be pinched off as close 

 to the stem as possible with- 

 out damaging the leaf. 



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