Tomatoes. 347 



stakes, to which they should be securely tied ; otherwise, when 

 the plants get heavily laden with fruit, after a high wind many 

 will be found blown to the ground, and few left standing 

 upright. Bamboo canes are sometimes used instead of stakes 

 but are not very satisfactory, being so smooth that the ties 

 are gradually pulled downward by the weight of the fruit. 

 A single wire, about 18in. above the ground, is an efficient and 

 cheap substitute for stakes; the wire is attached to a stout 

 stake at each end of the row, drawn tight, and supported on 

 short stakes every 10ft. or 12ft. The plant is allowed to grow 

 about 2ft. long without support, and is then drawn up and 

 hung over the wire, one slack tie of stout raffia being usually 

 sufficient for the whole season. The drawback to this method 

 is that the fruit and foliage hang together in a dense mass 

 through which the rays of the sun cannot penetrate or the wind 

 blow, and in wet times damp is thus held about the plants and 

 makes them more susceptible to disease. A better plan, and 

 one which appears to fulfil every requirement, is to strain three 

 wires to each row, beginning at 1ft. above the ground, with 

 1ft. spaces between; the wires should be attached by staples 

 to stout stakes fixed firmly in the ground at intervals of 12ft. 

 The best wire for the purpose is 15's gauge, galvanized, costing 

 about 18s. per cwt. delivered (retail price). Each cwt. contains 

 about 1,900 yards, and 2f cwts. are needed to run a single strand 

 in rows a yard apart over one acre, or 8 cwt. for three strands. 

 Training and Culture. As soon as planting is finished, the 

 soil should be lightly hoed over so as to provide a loose surface, 

 and this condition of the soil should be maintained throughout 

 the season. When planted on ridges or raised beds, which on 

 heavy soil is always advisable, care should be taken to provide 

 means for the rain-water to pass away readily, as an excessive 

 amount of moisture standing about the roots for any length of 

 time is always harmful. As soon as the plants begin to grow 

 freely they must be systematically relieved of side shoots; 

 these grow at a great pace, and their removal whilst still small 

 must on no account be neglected. To allow these shoots to 

 remain on the plant until they are a foot or more in length is 

 a foolish proceeding, and one of the most certain means of 

 preventing an early or profitable crop in otherwise favourable 



