CHAPTER VII. 



The Tomato. 



WHILE the general belief is that the tomato does best 

 on only moderately manured land, this depends en- 

 tirely on what kind of manure is used. My expe- 

 rience has been that ground can hardly be made too rich in 

 phosphoric acid and potash, though undoubtedly a surplus 

 of ammonia will cause the vines to grow too rank and fruit 

 sparingly, as well as make the tomatoes rot at the blossom 

 end. And now, a few points to beginners about growing the 

 plants. While hotbeds are necessary farther north, here a 

 coldframe is all that is needed. Nothing is gained by sow- 

 ing the seed before January ist to I5th, as it is always 

 very risky to set out in the open ground before the loth 

 to the 2oth of March, and the ground is usually too cold to 

 stimulate growth if set before. Make a well pulverized, 

 rich bed, about one foot above the surface, on well drained 

 ground, and large enough to hold a plank frame of 1x6- 

 inch stuff 3x6 feet, or the proper size to fit the sash. A 

 frame of that size will easily hold 3,000 plants from the 

 seeds, which should be sown quite thickly, then watered 

 well and covered thinly and evenly by sprinkling soil over 

 them. Put on the sash, and keep down until the seeds 

 are up nicely, when the back should be raised slightly every 

 sunny day, to give air. Now make up a larger bed and frame 

 at once, to hold what plants it is intended to set outside for 

 the crop, and be sure to have it on clean ground, free of cut- 

 worms. Old barnyard manure is excellent to fertilize with, 

 though fine bone meal is also good. But use no cotton-seed 

 meal unless applied a month before. Having raked fine and 

 smooth, lay off rows both ways with a long, straight-edged 

 strip pressed on the soil, and let them be about four or five 

 inches apart each way. This will afford room enough, if sash 



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