TOMATOES AND EGGPLANTS 203 



and a much larger proportion of the tomatoes 

 ripen. Put in stout 8-foot stakes, soon after set- 

 ting, driving in firmly. Tie the young plants, soon 

 after, using a soft jute string; take care to 

 bring the loop around beneath the leaf node, 

 so that the plants will not slip and sag. As soon 

 as the plants are staked, or when new growth 

 starts, the pruning begins. Perhaps the gardener 

 will decide to allow two branches to develop on 

 the main stem. Then pinch out all other lateral 

 buds, just as growth starts. The fruit stems will 

 be in no danger, for they appear on the opposite 

 side of the branch, between the leaves. Do not 

 allow the branch to grow. Pruning large branches 

 wastes plant vigor; sometimes the bleeding actu- 

 ally kills the plant. Watch closely and pinch out 

 new growth ; and watch also for the suckers that 

 usually appear soon after pruning begins. They 

 waste the vitality of the main plant that is to pro- 

 duce the harvest. After blooming begins, the gar- 

 dener may hasten the ripening of the much prized 

 first tomatoes by nipping off a part of the buds. 

 Later on in the season, after plenty of fruit has 

 formed, the vine ends may be pinched and thus 

 growth and blossoming stopped and the entire 

 vigor of the plant turned to maturing and ripen- 

 ing the fruit. In this way, by pruning or con- 

 trolling and directing growth and by furnishing 

 support, health is more perfectly assured and 

 much finer tomatoes are produced. This method 



