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Gardening for Amateurs 



time may easily do so, provided a well- 

 heated glasshouse is available. 



For the first early crop of the new year 

 sow the seed about the middle of October, 

 and grow the young plants sturdily through 

 the winter in a light position near the glass 

 in a warm greenhouse, admitting air on all 

 favourable occasions. Finally plant in 10- 

 inch pots, half filling the pots with soil at 

 first and top-dressing as growth progresses. 

 Grow the plants in a light greenhouse having 

 a temperature of 65 Fahr. by day and 55 

 by night. 



The flowers are usually artificially fer- 

 tilised by being brushed over with a small 

 camel-hair brush. Maintain a fairly moist 

 atmosphere by syringeing paths and walls 

 morning and afternoon on bright days. 

 Tie the steins of the plants to the wire trellis 

 or stakes as they grow, and cut away side 

 shoots close to the stem as fast as they 

 appear. As soon as a good " set " of fruit 

 is obtained " stop " the main shoot by 

 pinching out its top. This will assist the 

 development of the fruit. 



Successional Crops. Seeds should be sown 

 early in February and the plants grown as 

 directed for the first crop. It is not neces- 

 sary to " stop " the plants after four bunches 

 of fruit have formed ; the main stem is 

 allowed to grow uninterruptedly, and will 

 bear fruit freely all up the stem. The best 

 plan is to confine the plant to one stem in- 

 stead of encouraging the growth of two or 

 three, as is sometimes done ; but all side 

 shoots must be removed, and any unusually 

 long leaves may be shortened. 



The finest crops are obtained from plants 

 put out in a border about 15 inches apart, 

 though if this plan is not convenient the 

 Tomatoes may be grown in 10-inch pots, in 

 which case space must be left for adding a 

 top-dressing of soil later on. A suitable com- 

 post either for making a border or for use in 

 pots is as follows : To each barrowful of 

 loam (turfy soil) add 1 gallon of mortar 

 rubble, 3 pints of bone-meal, and the same 

 of soot. When the plants are bearing heavy 

 crops of fruit it is a good plan to mulch the 

 surface of the border with well-decayed 

 manure. Not only does this strengthen and 

 nourish the plants and improve the fruits, 

 it will also lessen the labour of watering. 



Watering is an important matter. When 

 Tomatoes are bearing heavy crops, and 

 especially if the plants are in pots, they need 

 watering frequently in hot weather. Water 

 should be given when the soil is beginning 

 to get dry. Liquid manure diluted with 

 water is of great advantage when the fruits 

 are swelling, and may be given two or three 

 times a week ; if yard manure is not obtain- 

 able soot water is excellent, and Peruvian 

 guano is a splendid fertiliser when used in 

 this way. A good plan is to put a peck of 

 these ingredients into a coarse sack and 

 place this in the tank or barrel from which 

 the water is drawn, or they may be sprinkled 

 on the soil surface and watered in. 



The Tomato dislikes a close and stuffy 

 atmosphere, therefore let the plants have a 

 moderate amount of air always when the 

 weather is favourable. But air must not 

 be admitted to such an extent as to lower 

 the temperature too much. In dull, wet 

 weather artificial warmth is of great advan- 

 tage, as the atmosphere can be kept dry 

 and airy, a condition of things well suited 

 to the Tomato and calculated to ensure 

 healthy plants. 



Sunrise is one of the best Tomatoes of 

 moderate size. Frogmore Selected, Duke of 

 York, and Moneymaker are also excellent. 

 Among the yellow varieties Golden Jubilee 

 and Sunbeam are valuable ; in flavour, 

 especially when uncooked, they are superior 

 to the red varieties, but they are not gener- 

 ally popular. 



The Cherry and Currant Tomatoes are 

 very pretty and useful for dessert, the 

 flavour being excellent ; the fruits are small, 

 and may be had both in red and yellow. 



Turnip. The Turnip will succeed in 

 ordinary garden soil that was dug and 

 manured for a previous crop. Cold, clayey 

 soils it does not like, and there grows in- 

 differently. This vegetable gives no trouble 

 in a damp season, but in hot, dry weather 

 it is one of the most difficult crops to grow 

 satisfactorily. Good Turnips can be had 

 practically all the year round by frequent 

 sowing and careful cultivation. 



Early crops are raised in frames on beds 

 of manure as prepared for Cucumber. For 

 the first crop make up a hotbed about Christ- 

 mas and put the frame upon it. In a week's 



