128 THE CULTURE OF VEGETABLES 



either prick off into other pans or boxes, or transfer singly to thumb 

 pots, and as a rule the pots will be found preferable. The soil for these 

 pans or pots should be stored in the greenhouse a few days in advance 

 of the transfer, so that the compost may acquire the proper 

 temperature and save the plants from an untimely check. In small 

 houses place the plants near the glass that they may remain short in 

 the joint, but on cold nights they must be taken down to avoid 

 injury from fluctuations of temperature. In large houses, where the 

 light is well diffused, there is no need to incur this trouble, for the 

 seedlings will do equally well on the ground level. In due time 

 shift into 48-size pots, from which they can go straight to borders 

 or into a larger size if they are to be fruited in pots. About fourteen 

 weeks will be required to prepare the plants for borders in the winter 

 season, but a shorter period will suffice in spring and summer. 

 Plants from a September sowing will not mature fruit in much less 

 than six months, while a March sowing will yield a return in four 

 months or less. Much depends on the character of the season, and 

 more on skill and attention. Those who sow in the middle of 

 February should sow again a fortnight later for succession crops, and 

 finally in the early part of March for plants to be hardened prepara- 

 tory to their being put into the open ground at the end of May or 

 beginning of June. 



In the first instance, there need be no anxiety about soil. Any 

 fairly good sandy loam will answer for the seed-pans, and if too stiff 

 it may be freely mixed with sharp sand or the sifted sweepings from 

 roads and gravel walks. A fibrous loam, cut from a rich pasture, and 

 laid up in a heap for twelve months, will, with an addition of grit, 

 make an ideal soil for pots or borders. As the plants advance, leaf- 

 mould or thoroughly decayed manure in moderate quantity should 

 be supplied ; but, instead of incorporating it with the loam in the 

 usual way, it will be found advantageous to place the manure imme- 

 diately above the crocks, and the roots will find it at the right time. 

 But the quantity of manure must not be overdone, especially in the 

 earlier stages of growth, because excessive luxuriance neither promotes 

 fruitfulness nor conduces to early ripening. After the fruit has set, 

 a mulch of decayed manure will aid the plants in finishing a heavy 

 crop, brilliant in colour and superb in flavour. Manure which is 

 only partially fermented will not do at all. The ammonia it liberates 

 exerts so deadly a power that we have seen thousands of plants scorched 

 in a few hours, as with the blast of a furnace. 



In its demand for potash the Tomato closely resembles the Potato, 



