The Canadian Horticulturist. 99 



touch the sand and not be buried in it. Roots will form in about two weeks, 

 and afterwards new shoots will appear. You may then shake the sand out and 

 replace it with good, rich soil, one-fourth sand and one-fourth manure. In about 

 eight days, set your plant in the full sun, water it well and let it grow until cold 

 weather. Gradually withhold water, and during winter let it remain in a very 

 sunny place indoors, where it will not freeze. If this place is very dry, water 

 your plant about once a week. 



Towards the end of March, when growth begins, water may be given more 

 freely and the plant may be shifted to a larger pot where it can remain for 

 several years. 



TOMATO GROWING. 



■** 



COMPARATIVELY few farmers have the advantage of a greenhouse 



or even a hot-bed to raise early plants for the garden. Tomatoes, 



the most prized of all vegetables, make too slow growth for summer 



use unless they are started earlier than they can be put in the open 



ground. Many think this a difficult task, but they are of such easy 



culture that almost any farmer's wife can raise a few plants in the 



house. A sufficient number to supply a family can be started in a 



small pan, or even an old tomato can is large enough to grow a dozen plants. 



There they will germinate and make rapid growth if care is taken to remove 



them to a warm place during cold nights. In the first warm spell after the 



second leaves appear they should be transplanted to larger dishes, setting them 



two or three inches apart, where they can grow until time to plant in the open 



ground. This course is preferable to putting the seed in a larger box, for a 



small dish is more easily cared for, and tomatoes need transplanting to make 



them grow strong and stalky. Set in rows and cultivate often with a knife. 



Care must be taken that they are not kept too wet, especially through cold 



spells, or they may damp off. Another necessary precaution is to give the 



young plants plenty of air and "outdoor exercise" or they will grow too slender. 



Every pleasant day should find them out of doors in a sheltered location, and 



undergoing a toughening process to enable them to withstand the hard winds 



which they must inevitably meet later. Ten days before putting out run a knife 



between the rows close to the plants, cutting the roots somewhat. This will 



check the growth of tops and start a new root growth. Roots should not be 



long and tapering, but a compact fibrous mass. Such plants cannot fail to live 



and will even bear setting out on a sunny day without cover. Do not be 



discouraged even if you have been unsuccessful with early tomatoes heretofore. 



Try again. Plenty of sunshine, plenty of air, plenty of water in dry weather and 



not too much in damp, will insure plants that will repay the busy housewife for 



the care she has given them and supply the table with an abundance of delicious 



tomatoes in July instead of September. — The Nebraska Farmer. 



