Cultural Directions. — 301 



TOMATO. 



Solanutn Lycopersictan. German, Liebesapfcl ; French and 

 Spanish, Tomate. — In many sections of this country, tomatoes are 

 a leading farm crop, and grown almost more extensively than 

 j)otatoes. The market garden has little use for them, except as 

 an early or a forcing crop ; for this vegetable, to do its best, requires 

 more space than high feeding and high cultivation. With good 

 plants to start with, tomatoes are one of the easiest crops to 

 grow where the climate is warm enough to bring the fruit to 

 maturity. 



Growing the Plants. — It is of especial importance to start 

 the plants early (not later than in March) in hot-bed or green- 

 house, in order to get an early crop. Give the plants all the 

 space they need for full development, during every stage of 

 growth, in order to make them stocky ; then harden them off 

 thoroughly before their transfer to the open ground. 



Culture. — To give the best results, tomatoes require the 

 soil in a fair state of fertility ; but the richer it is, the wider 

 should the plants be set, 4 feet square usually being the very 



Dwarf Champion. 



Turner Hybrid. 



Trophy. 



least distance, except perhaps for some of the very dwarf sorts. 

 Keep the crop cultivated and hoed, same as a good farmer would 

 his corn. 



Winter Forcing. — For forcing the crop in greenhouse, 

 plants may be obtained by rooting cuttings of old plants in the 

 fall, then planting out in beds in greenhouse, or in large pots or 

 boxes, giving each plant a space of about 2 feet each way. All 

 laterals are removed and the main stalks tied to stakes, or wires, 

 or strings. During the time of fruit-setting the atmosphere in- 

 side of the building has to be kept dry. In order to secure the 

 proper fertilization (pollination), good growers now gather to- 

 mato flowers from the field in the fall when pollen is produced 

 most freely, dry them and keep them in a box or jar until 

 wanted. The pollen dust is then applied to each flower as soon 

 as it opens. 



