398 The Principles of Vegetable -Gardening 



" By pruning, commercial growers mean the pinching out of all 

 lateral branches as soon as they appear, thus confining the growth 

 strictly to one stem. When about three clusters of fruit are set 

 the vines are topped, thus stopping all farther growth of vine, and 

 turning the energies of the plant entirely to the growth and ma- 

 turing of the fruits that are already set. The advocates of this 

 system claim that it greatly increases the size of the individual 

 fruits and that the bulk of the crop ripens several days earlier than 

 on unpruned plants. Of course each plant produces fewer fruits 

 than when allowed to grow unchecked, but this is partly compen- 

 sated for by increased size and by the closer planting that is pos- 

 sible on this system, thus allowing a greater number of plants to 

 the acre. In several of the more important tomato -growing re- 

 gions this system is very widely followed." F. S. Earle, Bull. 108, 

 Ala. Exp. Sta. 



u Tomatoes in very Severe Locations. When there is danger of 

 frost in August, a sufficient supply of tomatoes for family use 

 may be grown on the south side of a house, wall or other pro- 

 tection, especially if the plants are covered on cold nights. 

 Where this seems to be impracticable, a most excellent way is to 

 grow a few plants in barrels placed in warm corners about the 

 buildings. To do this, at planting time select a barrel as large 

 as a coal-oil barrel, bore three or four holes in the bottom, sink 

 the barrel about one -third its depth in the ground and pack the 

 earth around it. Fill it about half full of fresh horse manure 

 well tramped down and pour a bucketful of hot water on this 

 manure. Then put on 8 inches of good soil and then a mixture 

 of well -rotted manure and rich black loam in about equal quan- 

 tities, until you reach within about 12 inches of the top of the 

 barrel ; then heap up manure around the outside. Set three plants 

 in this and trim to two shoots each. Train one of these shoots 

 from each plant to stakes or nearby building, but allow the other 

 three shoots to grow naturally over the sides of the barrel. Be 

 careful to give plenty of water daily a gallon each day will be 

 none too much. Three or four old barrels treated in this way and 

 placed in sunny exposure will produce all the tomatoes needed by a 

 family of four or five persons." Green, Veg. Gard. 2d ed., p. 197. 



