CULTURAL DIRECTIONS 461 



The proper planting- distances should be determined 

 by the productiveness of the soil, vigor of the variety to 

 be grown and by the method of culture or system of 

 training to be followed. In thin soils and with early 

 varieties 3x3 feet apart will be satisfactory. In many 

 soils 3 to 3*^2 x 4 feet are good distances for early varie- 

 ties 54x4 and 4x5 feet are common planting distances 

 for late varieties. Even more space is often allowed in 

 soils where a rank growth is secured. 



The usual methods of transplanting are employed. In 

 the canning districts transplanting machines are in 

 common use. 



654. Cultivation. Clean tillage is essential to large 

 fruits and high yields. Some hand hoeing is required, 

 although this work will be slight if the plants are set in 

 check rows. 



655. Training. The pruning or training of tomatoes 

 is not generally practiced, except in greenhouse culture, 

 where single-stem training has met with universal favor. 

 This system is also used to some extent in field and gar- 

 den culture. The advantages claimed for it are: (i) 

 The bulk 'of the fruit ripens earlier than under natural 

 methods; (2) there is less trouble from various fungous 

 diseases; (3) the fruit is larger and finer in every particu- 

 lar; (4) the fruit is clean when picked, thus the expense 

 of preparing for market is reduced; (5) spraying and 

 cultivation may be continued longer because the vines 

 are not lying prostrate on the ground and interfering 

 with these operations ; (6) harvesting is more conveni- 

 ent ; (7) on account of earlier maturity the land may be 

 used for a second crop of vegetables, or for a cover crop 

 to be used for manurial purposes. 



While the results secured by many practical growers 

 and the rather numerous investigations at the experi- 

 ment stations support the foregoing arguments for this 

 system, some practical growers are opposed to it and 



