34 MARKET NURSERY WORK 



a tested ounce shows considerably more than that, it may be 

 suspected that a portion of them are not as plump and perfect 

 as they ought to be. The test of germination is not a sufficient 

 test and is not a good criterion as to the health and vigour of the 

 seedlings. 



The Tomato is a coarse and vigorous growing plant, and because 

 of its intensive cultivation becomes the objective of numerous 

 enemies both insect and fungoid, therefore it is advisable to 

 begin the fight against these from the very beginning. 



As to the time of sowing, this must be governed by when you 

 want your crop to turn in. If you aim at forcing the plants to 

 catch the high prices of April and May, then you will sow your 

 seeds in October or November. If, on the other hand, you have 

 to content yourself with a coldhouse crop, then January is 

 the proper month. You want neither to have your young plants 

 ready and languishing in pots before you are ready to plant them, 

 nor find yourselves wanting them before they are ready there- 

 fore some discrimination as to the time for sowing is necessary. 

 Further, as conditions in various places are not identical, one 

 nurseryman by reason of better facilities producing his plants 

 more quickly than another, it would be folly on our part to 

 dogmatise by fixing arbitrary dates. What we rather recommend 

 is that every man keep his own data and rely upon his own 

 proved experience, which is tuned to the facilities at his command. 

 If we could put this clearer, we would, but we are growers, not 

 writers, and we think our words, crude though they may be, 

 will be understood as between growers and growers. 



Just now we pointed out how advisable it was to combat 

 disease and pests from the beginning. We return to that and 

 would reduce it to practice. 



Prepare your seed and thoroughly cleanse it by treatment 

 with formalin, which will destroy all germs or spores which may 

 have settled upon it. Sterilise your soil, and if no other method 

 of doing this is convenient, let boiling water help you. Fill 

 your boxes all ready for the reception of the seeds stand them 

 perfectly level, then thoroughly soak them with boiling water 

 from a fine-rosed watering pot. To be effective the soaking must 

 be thorough. Half an hour afterwards you may sow the seed. 



