TOMATOES 



451 



however, the flowers must be artificially pollinated, otherwise a very 

 small percentage of fruits will set. To pollinate in the greenhouse, 

 let the temperature of the house become quite high in the middle 

 of bright, sunshiny days while the plants are in bloom, and then 

 with a light stick, 18 inches or 2 feet in length, strike the sup- 

 porting strings or wires so as to jar the plants and thus liberate 

 the pollen. A more satisfactory way, however, is to use a watch 

 glass 1 1 or il- inches in diameter, embedded in putty, at the end 

 of a handle 12 or 18 inches long, made of a light wood. Grasp 

 this spatula in the left hand and with a light stick of equal length 

 pass through the house. Tap each open flower lightly with the 

 wand and at the same time hold the watch glass under the flower 

 to catch the pollen ; before removing the watch glass from this 

 position, lift it sufficiently to cause the stigma of the flower to dip 

 into the pollen contained in the watch glass. By going through 

 the house carefully every day during the blooming period, 90 per 

 cent or more of the blossoms which develop can be induced to set. 

 During dark, cloudy, or stormy weather, however, a smaller per- 

 centage of flowers can be successfully fertilized than during bright 

 weather, for it is impossible to modify conditions in the greenhouse 

 so as to overcome entirely the adverse outside conditions. 



Manuring. It is desirable that tomato plants which are being 

 forced should be kept growing at a moderately rapid rate through 

 the whole period. Growth should be strong and robust at all times, 

 yet slow enough to produce close-jointed plants which bear fruit 

 clusters near together. There is considerable difference in varieties 

 in this particular, and those plants which naturally bear their clus- 

 ters close together should be selected for forcing purposes, provided 

 they possess the other desirable qualities. The manuring of the 

 plants should take a form which will be conducive to this strong, 

 vigorous growth, yet not sufficiently heavy to produce plants which 

 run to wood at the expense of fruit. If a nitrogenous fertilizer is 

 to be used, nitrate of soda in solution is preferable to the slower- 

 acting forms commonly employed in greenhouse operations, such 

 as bone meal, cottonseed meal, and sheep manure. An artificial 

 fertilizer is better than stable manure for producing strong growth 

 in the plants. Nitrate of soda, sulphate of potash, and acid phos- 

 phate can be combined to give the desired proportions of nitrogen, 



