TOMATOES ii 



leave room for substantial top dressings always so necessary 

 later on. With continuous and copious waterings the original 

 compost must be deprived of some of its ingredients, and if no 

 space is left in the pots for top dressings with new soil, the 

 consequence is a wholesale falling off of the flowers. 



The general treatment of plants in pots is identical henceforth 

 with that of the plantations, so that from now onward our remarks 

 will apply equally to both. 



SUPPORTS 



Directly the plants have established themselves they break 

 into a rapid growth, and, unless supported soon, either by stakes 

 or strings, become top-heavy and fall over. It is well to forestall 

 this by adding the supports directly active growth begins. 

 Stakes being cumbersome and expensive, string |is the most 

 generally used medium for this. An overhead wire is run parallel 

 with the rows at a height of from 6 to 8 feet, to which a string 

 per plant is fastened, the other ends being loosely fastened around 

 the plant near to its base. No tying is necessary except in 

 the case of a refractory growth, all that is necessary being to 

 twist the plant occasionally around the string as growth proceeds. 



Where the plants are growing as a catch crop in small houses, 

 with a row planted near the wall on either side of the house, 

 the strings are run up just below the sash-bars and fastened to 

 nails or a wire high up the bars. These plants, grown up in 

 the full light and quite near to the glass, will give remarkable 

 crops of from 20 Ib. to 30 lb., and this they must, of course, 

 do to be profitable, seeing how few plants go to fill such a house. 

 We have often had single trusses weighing from 7 lb. to 9 lb., 

 though these were exceptional, the great weight per plant being 

 due to the shortness of joint and the closeness of the trusses 

 to each other. Twelve trusses on a 6-foot vine are not unusual. 



DISBUDDING AND TRIMMING 



When the side shoots begin to grow, as they will do while 

 the plants are yet young, they must be rigorously pinched out. 

 Never allow them to remain long enough to need cutting out, 

 for every side shoot that develops must of necessity use up a 



