204 A HOME VEGETABLE-GARDEN 



of growing tomatoes makes it possible, also, to 

 find room for them in the smallest kind of a back- 

 yard garden. 



The best prevention of disease is always steady 

 healthy growth. Spraying with bordeaux mixture 

 is the best remedy for most tomato diseases. To- 

 bacco dust sifted over the leaves will keep away 

 flea-beetles and plant-lice. 



No harvest is quite so interesting in anticipa- 

 tion as the tomato harvest. As the biggest fruits 

 turn light and then begin to color, they must have 

 plenty of sunshine to give them rich color and fine 

 flavor. Cut out overshadowing leaves and turn 

 the branches toward the light. Provide water 

 when necessary and keep the surface stirred. 

 Pinch the vine ends and so turn all the vitality 

 toward final development and ripening. The big 

 clumps may become so heavy that they may need 

 tying to the stake to keep them from breaking 

 down. Watch out, ready for the last bit of care 

 here and there, and soon the gardener will be 

 gathering big basketfuls of luscious red tomatoes. 



Eggplants 



The cultivation of eggplant is practically the 

 same as for the tomato, except we must bear 

 in mind that it is a hot-season plant. The egg- 

 plant needs a long season and warm, loose, 

 fairly dry, loamy soil. To extend the time of 

 growth usually allowed by our central New York 



