344 CALIFORNIA VEGETABLES. 



moisture is available. The more moderate heat of the coast 

 regions and the interior river bottoms is, however, ade- 

 quate for full development of the plant, and it is attained 

 with much less moisture than on the higher lands of the 

 interior. For this reason splendid crops are secured with- 

 out irrigation on retentive soils in valleys of sufficient 

 rainfall, even if the plants are not set until the opening 

 of the dry season provided suitable winter and spring 

 working is given to prevent evaporation and to hold 

 moisture near the surface. On lands moistened by under- 

 flow splendid tomatoes can be grown without irrigation 

 all through the local frost-free period. 



Plants for the Garden. Tomatoes are readily grown 

 from seed and the best plants are those produced with 

 moderate heat. They need simple protection from cold 

 rather than forcing heat, as our day temperatures from 

 February onward are almost always adequate. For 

 earlier starting of plants some bottom heat is desirable 

 and can be profitably used if care is taken for free ad- 

 mission of air and subsequent hardening of the plants by 

 later growth under protection but at lower temperatures. 

 The considerations, urged in the chapter on propagation 

 for the handling of seeds and seedlings have special ap- 

 plicability to the growth of tomato plants. For the home 

 garden in the central and northern valley regions there is 

 perhaps no better way of growing plants than that of 

 Ira W. Adams, as follows : 



''Plant the seed about the middle of February in a small 

 box two inches in depth, and keep in the house by a south 

 window in a moderately warm room. ,0n warm, sunny 

 days, put them outdoors, and let them remain out day and 

 night whenever the weather is warm enough ; in this way 

 they will make stocky plants and be much hardier than if 

 raised altogether in the house. The soil should be rich 

 and mellow, and always kept a little moist. When the 

 plants appear, thin out to an inch apart. As soon as the 

 plants begin to crowd each other, transplant to another 

 box about four inches in depth and give them a space of 



