THE TOMATO. 43 



start a rapid growth. When the plants begin to bloom, run 

 around them lightly with, the plow, throwing the entire bed 

 up a second time, leaving a high, warm ridge, perfectly 

 drained, upon which the fruit can lie without rotting. One 

 hoeing around the plants, and one or two cultivatings, will 

 make the crop, running the plow or sweep in the furrows 

 after each one to open it out clean. 



And here, as elsewhere through this book, I must urge all 

 growers in the level coast country of Texas to plant all crops 

 on well raised beds or ridges. While on high, rolling land 

 flat culture may do, I believe that for early spring planting all 

 through this coast country, the ridge system is the safest and 

 best. While the general impression is that plants on a level 

 will stand drouth the best, I have found scarcely any differ- 

 ence on rich ground, even in dry spells, but if heavy rains 

 occur, flat planting simply means ruin. The hot sun on a 

 saturated, loose, flat soil, even for a few hours, will furnish the 

 conditions for the development of rust or burning, as well as 

 rot in the fruit. On high, broad beds, as herein advised, 

 staking of the plants is not necessary, as the surface quickly 

 dries off after rains, and very few of the tomatoes that rest 

 upon the ground will rot. I made a fair trial of growing to 

 a single stake and stem, with pinching back of laterals, but 

 growth here is so rapid and strong on rich ground, that the 

 method involves too much labor, nor is there any material 

 advantage in earliness. I omitted to say that after the plants 

 are set out, if the stems are a little long it is a good plan to 

 peg them down, all one way, with two cross sticks, to prevent 

 damage from whipping winds. This is excellent for egg- 

 plants, also, which and sweet peppers should be grown from 

 the seed and treated in the frames just as the tomatoes were. 

 If a freeze seems inevitable after the plants are set out, take 

 a spade full of pulverized surface soil and gently slide it on 

 the plants from the bottom of the stem up, pressing the plants 

 down, and if too large to cover entirely, and the exposed tops 

 are killed, cut them off at once, remove the covering of earth, 

 and the plants will quickly renew themselves. 



The only insect that troubles tomatoes in this section is 



