Tomatoes. 351 



deciding when to gather. In the heat of the summer it ripens 

 very quickly after it is packed, and if left on the plant until 

 fully ripe it would arrive at its destination too soft, and 

 much depreciated in value. The proper degree of under 

 ripeness of the fruit when packed therefore calls for a consider- 

 able amount of judgment; when the weather is very warm, 

 and particularly when the packages are likely to be delayed 

 before being exposed for sale, the colour should not be deeper 

 than pink ; as the weather gets cooler ripening proceeds more 

 slowly, and therefore the colour should be allowed to get more 

 and more advanced before packing, the object being to ensure 

 that it shall be firm, well-coloured, and attractive in appearance 

 when offered to the purchaser. The same procedure should be 

 followed when the fruit is sent direct to private customers, 

 except that it should be allowed to arrive at a stage nearer 

 ripeness before packing, because under these circumstances it 

 is usually wanted for immediate use. 



About the end of September the fruits still hanging may be 

 destroyed by sharp frosts, but if they then escape they will 

 probably be safe for several weeks longer. After September it 

 is useless to expect them to ripen well in the open-air, and they 

 should then be gathered green, but full-grown, and ripened 

 under cover. At this period, owing to the cold, dripping, misty 

 nights, the fruit is very liable to be affected by a fungus known 

 as botrytis cinerea, which usually finds a lodgment at the point 

 where the stem and the fruit join. The attack of this fungus 

 is almost imperceptible, but very deadly. Its presence is usually 

 first indicated by green fruit parting from the stem and falling 

 to the ground, although sometimes it remains hanging with a 

 white mould showing distinctly at the base. When the disease 

 is prevalent it is almost useless to gather the green fruit, as 

 although apparently sound when taken indoors the fungus has 

 usually affected the greater proportion, and decay speedily sets 

 in, so that the quantity of sound ripe fruit ultimately obtained 

 scarcely pays for the labour involved. This disease may be 

 kept at bay, or its ravages much reduced, by following the 

 instructions for spraying Tomatoes in the chapter dealing with 

 Pests and Diseases. When the final pickings of green fruit 

 are comparatively free from disease they add very materially 



