274 CROP GROWING AND CROP FEEDING 



is, there is a high back wall and a low front one, a short slope of glass on the 

 back and twice as long a slope in front. Then if the benches are made at 

 different heights the plants can be brought to uniform distance from the 

 glass and all have an equal chance at the sunlight. Prof. Bailey says that 

 he prefers to grow tomatoes on the side benches in 7 or 8 inches of soil and on 

 benches, too, in the centre of the house. Our objection to this would be that 

 the tomatoes on the side benches would too much shade those in the centre. 



While in all the earlier stages of the growth of the plants the house 

 should be kept moist, very great care is needed in the watering of the plants. 

 We keep the walks damp at all times and water the pots only when needed, 

 having no set time to do this, but varying with the state of the weather and 

 the amount of sunshine. A slight thump on the side of a pot will tell if 

 water is needed even when it looks moist on the surface. If the pot sounds 

 hollow water should be given, if not, none. Moisture is maintained by water- 

 ing the sand on the benches where the pots stand, and watering the walks, 

 but sprinkling overhead on the plants is never done. Various plans have 

 been proposed for the pollenation of the flowers, such as shaking off the 

 pollen in a spoon or watch glass, but we have never succeeded in this, and find 

 no difficulty in rapidly setting the flowers with a camel's hair brush. Prof. 

 Bailey says that all varieties of tomatoes are more inclined to be irregular 

 in shape under glass than in the open ground. We have found the very re- 

 verse of this to be the case. They always, for us, grew more smooth and per- 

 fect under glass than out doors. Perhaps the difference is climatic and due 

 to our abounding sunshine, even in the coldest weather. He, too, claims 

 that the Dwarf Champion is the least satisfactory under glass, while here it 

 has always been one of the best, while the Lorillard, which is claimed in the 

 North to be a special forcing variety, is an utter failure here every time it 

 has been tried ; the poorest crop we have ever had was with this variety. 



Forced tomatoes are marketed in baskets similar to those used by the 

 Florida shippers, and packed in what are known as Southern carriers. Each 

 fruit should be wrapped in soft tissue paper, and the baskets lined with white 

 paper, and with some clean excelsior shavings under the fruit to prevent 

 jarring in transportation. 



COMMERCIAL FERTILIZERS IN TOMATO FORCING. 



Our own experience in the winter forcing of tomatoes has led us to prefer 

 chemical fertilizers to stable manure. On this point we are glad to refer to 

 the work done at the Connecticut Experiment Station as detailed in their 

 report for the year 1895. "To those who are raising or contemplating rais- 



