TOMATO, OR LOVE-APPLE 



713 



fruited, these being grown with 

 single stems and staked in a sloping 

 direction ; while in shallow frames 

 a few plants may be trained and 

 fruited somewhat similar to Cucum- 

 bers or Melons. I prefer, however, 

 in all cases where there is a depth 

 of 2 ft. or more at the back, to adopt 

 a combination of the two plans ; 

 that is to %ay, to cover the back 

 wall or boards, as the case may be, 

 with a number of obliquely trained 

 plants, and the beds with a few 

 spreading or trailing plants. I find 

 where numbers are in a pit or frame, 

 say about 15 in. apart and neces- 

 sarily staked in a slanting direction, 

 they are apt to shade each other ; 

 but if the back walls or boards are 

 covered with plants, these yield 

 surprisingly without interfering with 

 or being injuriously affected by 

 those spreading on the ground. In 

 frame culture it is imperative that 

 the cultivator be able to put on the 

 lights at certain times, and for this 

 reason the plants cannot well be too 

 dwarf. Now, there are few or no 

 really dwarf sorts to be had gene- 

 rally, with the exception of Vil- 

 morin's Dwarf, but the plants may 

 easily be dwarfed by burying the 

 stems, and as these quickly emit 

 roots, the plants are also strengthened 

 by the process. I do not recom- 

 mend burying the balls deeply ; the 

 object is best attained by trimming 

 off the lower leaves of the plants, 

 and then, after some of the soil has 

 been thrown out, lay them in different 

 directions, so as to place all the 

 heads where required, the soil being 

 then returned. This will be found 

 a better plan than either layering or 

 striking the tops in order to secure 

 dwarf plants, and laying them all in 

 before covering the balls and stems 

 is the only way to properly plant. 

 The balls should be moist when 

 planted, and are best slightly sunk 



and marked with pegs, so that they 

 can subsequently be kept watered 

 till such time as the roots are spread 

 in all directions. The frames should 

 be kept rather close till the plants 

 have recommenced growth, when 

 air should be given freely, throwing 

 off the lights during hot weather. 

 Close early in the afternoons till 

 such times as the fruits are com- 

 mencing to ripen, when a little may 

 be left on during warm dry nights. 

 A stout stake should be placed to- 

 each plant, the latter having all 

 side shoots kept rubbed out, and be 

 stopped beyond either the second 

 or third large cluster of fruit, or ac- 

 cording to the head room. If what 

 I term the combination system is 

 adopted, those plants nailed or other- 

 wise trained to the back of the frames 

 should be laid down or dwarfed; 

 while about two plants in the centre 

 of each light should also be planted 

 in a sloping direction, pegged down 

 and encouraged to spread, the former 

 to have all side shoots removed from 

 the one or more main stems that 

 may be laid in, and the latter must 

 be freely thinned out where at all 

 crowded, the laterals being depended 

 upon for fruiting, and are best raised 

 from the soil with short stakes, or 

 the clusters of fruit may be laid on 

 pieces of slates or roofing tiles. 

 Wherever the stems are pegged 

 down they will strike root, to the 

 obvious benefit of the crops. 



" DISEASE AND ITS PREVENTION. 

 It is when the foliage is wet, 

 and especially during dull showery 

 weather, that the fungus effects a 

 lodgment on it, and this happens 

 whether the plants be dry at the 

 roots or not. Consequently to with- 

 hold water from the roots, or to 

 increase the bottom heat as a pre- 

 ventive of disease, is a mistake. 

 Keep the foliage dry with the aid 

 of the lights, never syringe over- 



