PLANTING TOMATOES. 347 



plants and dibble them in clear down to the seed leaf. 

 Place them about three inches apart each way, water them 

 well, and in a few days they will begin to grow, and in 

 this way fine, stocky plants can be grown almost ready to 

 blossom when they are set out in the open ground where 

 they are to remain. There is nothing gained by setting 

 out tomatoes in the open ground when they are too small ; 

 if anything, time is lost by doing so, while a large, stocky 

 plant has plenty of fine fibrous roots, and is rapidly estab- 

 lished in its new place. 



Tomato plants may also be grown from stem cuttings, 

 as described in the chapter on propagation. 



Planting Out Tomatoes. In addition to suggestions al- 

 ready made for planting out, it should be remarked that 

 for late planting especially, and in light soils, it is de- 

 sirable to set the plants quite deeply in the soil. If the 

 plants are slim and "leggy" they should be shortened, 

 pruning off the laterals and most of the leaves to escape 

 wilting, from which it is hard for the plant to recover. 

 The rule with some growers is to set the plant half the 

 length of the stem deeper than it stood in the seed bed, 

 and in light, dry interior soils the stem has been entirely 

 buried with good results. Depth of planting depends upon 

 the character of the soil and its content of moisture. 

 Where moisture is to be abundant it is better to have the 

 roots nearer the surface. 



Preparation of land for tomatoes should begin early in 

 the rainy season, as for beans, corn or melons, to render 

 the soil absorptive of moisture and to secure good deep 

 tilth. Re-working in the spring, and cultivation until it is 

 safe to plant out the tomatoes, keeps the soil in fine con- 

 dition, saves moisture and insures a crop at minimum cost. 

 Crops are often grown on spring plowing alone, but it is 

 an uphill task, and attended by great risk of failure, if 

 spring rains are scant, as they often are. 



Field planting is generally done by hand, sometimes at 

 the intersection of cross-markings, but often with less 



