

Encyclopaedia of Gardening 213 



grown, and the one serious drawback to it is its liability to run to 



seed, which spoils it. The grower must look partly to varieties and 



partly to culture as a remedy for this. The ordinary " round " and 



" prickly " varieties (these names come from the character of the 



seed, not from the leaf) are both addicted to it, especially in hot, 



dry weather and in poor soil. The Long-standing and Victoria 



varieties are less prone. The New Zealand Spinach, which is quite 



different from the rest, is also a non-bolter. 



The soil for Spinach should be deep, moist, 



and fertile. In addition to the ordinary 



manure, bone flour or superphosphate may 



be dug in at the rate of 4 oz. per square 



yard. The first sowing may be made in 



February where there is a sheltered border 



available, and thereafter regular sowings 



may be made until September, covering an 



inch deep. If several rows are sown in 



one bed they ought to be 2 ft. apart, and 



the plants should be thinned to a foot 



apart. The Perpetual Spinach, or Spinach 



Beet, is useful, as it produces very large 



leaves. 



Tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum). 

 No fruit or vegetable (botanically the 

 Tomato is a fruit) developed in such an 

 astonishing way during the last few years 

 of the i gth century as the Tomato. 

 From being little more than a botanical curiosity it progressed until 

 it became one of the most considerable items in the great industry of 

 market gardening. Hundreds of acres of glass 'houses are devoted 

 to its culture, and it is grown in the majority of private gardens. A 

 native of South America, the Tomato is a tender plant in Northern 

 climes, and it is unfortunately liable to 

 fungoid diseases, which are worst in cool, 

 damp summers. This renders outdoor 

 culture precarious. Much can be done to 

 keep indoor Tomatoes healthy by growing 

 them in sterilised soil, and where trouble 

 from eel-worm, " sleepy disease," and other 

 pests is persistent, it is worth while to go 

 to the expense of sterilisation, which is 

 effected by heating, either with steam or 

 in a furnace. If the soil be steamed it 

 should be heated to a temperature of 



160, and kept covered with a cloth dur- 



Young shoots are taken from ing the process. The only disease that is 

 the branches or stems and likely to attack plants in sterilised soil is 

 autumn' y m yellow spot (Cladosporium fulvum), and 



this can be kept under by spraying every 



few days with a solution of " bluestone " (sulphate of copper), i oz. in 

 50 gallons of water; or with Woburn Bordeaux Paste at the rate ad- 

 vised by the makers. When attacked by the dreaded " sleepy disease" 



REDUCING THE FOLIAGE OF 



TOMATOES. 



i. Top removed. 2. Side 

 leaves shortened. 



RAISING TOMATOES FROM 

 CUTTINGS. 



A good plan for winter fruiters. 



