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620 



The Weekly Florists^ Review* 



August 10, 1906. 



e Forcing. 



TOMATOES. 



Considerable diversity of opinion ex- 

 ists regarding the advantages and dis- 

 advantages of the different methods of 

 training tomato plants. Some believe 

 in three stems, while others contend that 

 the single stem method is better. On 

 the whole I believe that more fruit can 

 be produced per foot of bench space 

 from single-stem plants as a general 

 rule. A great deal undoubtedly depends 



drain on them, having so much more 

 foliage to support, helps to balance the 

 growth, so that there is less danger of 

 grossness. 



In setting, the plants should be set 

 well down to do away with as much 

 bare stem as possible. They will throw 

 out new roots from the stem as far up 

 as it is covered with soil. At first water 

 around the plants only, but give sufficient 

 to make sure that it reaches the bottom 

 of the ball. Later increase the radius of 

 the water, according as the roots reach 

 the surrounding soil. It is well to see 

 that the ball of earth containing the 

 roots is not too dry before the plants 

 are set in the bench, for if dry they are 



Skinner Patented Sprinkler in Cucumber House of Miller Bros. 



upon the house in which the plants are 

 grown. If the house is first-class in 

 every way, so that plenty of light can 

 reach the plants on every side, there is 

 no great difference in results, but other- 

 wise the single stem has the advantage. 

 Each individual plant having its indi- 

 vidual space, the distribution of light is 

 more uniform. With the three stems 

 more or less crowding is hard to avoid. 

 Of course, the single-stem system entails 

 the raising of more than double the 

 number of plants, but when the plants ' 

 are raised at home this does not count 

 for much extra outlay. 



Before planting it must be decided 

 which method of training is to be fol- 

 lowed, 80 that the plants can be set ac- 

 cordingly. For single-stem plants about 

 two and one-half feet of bench space 

 should be allowed to each plant and for 

 three-stem plants four and one-half feet 

 will be about right. 



With either of the systems it is neces- 

 sary to confine the roots to a certain 

 extent, so as to check the growth suffi- 

 ciently to promote early setting and 

 ripening of the fruit, but care must be 

 exercised not to lessen the vigor of the 

 plants more than is necessary. Where 

 raised benches are employed the prob- 

 lem of confining the roots is already 

 solved, as long as the soil is no mor« 

 than eight inches deep and the plants 

 are set at the proper distance, but where 

 Bolid beds are employed or the plants 

 set on the floor level, some means should 

 be adopted to prevent the plants from 

 having too much room to ramble or rank- 

 ness of growth may result. This ap- 

 plies more to the single-stem plants than 

 to those with three sterns. The extra 



apt to remain in this condition, the water 

 passing off through the looser soil in- 

 stead of penetrating the hard, dry mass. 

 If the plants are to be grown to three 

 stems, two side shoots should be taken 

 away as near the bottom of the stem and 

 as nearly opposite one another as pos- 

 sible, all other shoots and all lateral 

 growths being pinched off as they ap- 

 pear. 



For single-stem plants all that is neces- 

 sary is to keep all side growths off and 

 concentrate all the strength of the plant 

 into the one stem. We have sometimes 

 found it necessary to prune off part of 



the foliage to somewhat check the growth 

 when the plants showed too much vigor, 

 but with the root space properly bal- 

 anced this should not be necessary. After 

 the plants have a good hold in their 

 new quarters and are well under way 

 they may appear rather vigorous, but ac- 

 cording as they attain size and begin to 

 set fruit the rapidity of growth will 

 naturally decline and it will be found 

 that no pruning of foliage will be needed. 



W. S. Ceotdon. 



PROGRESSIVE GROWERS. 



The progressive firm of Miller Bros., 

 Toledo, O., has probably one of the most 

 up-to-date vegetable forcing plants in the 

 state. The bouses, which are of the Dietsch 

 short-roof style, have been up but about 

 a year, and! are excellent examples of 

 modern greenhouse building. There is 

 one solid bed in each house, with a walk 

 on each side. The sides of the beds, 

 which are low, are made of cement. The 

 Yarian system of heating is employed, 

 and has given them great satisfaction 

 during the past year. Everything about 

 this place is the best that money can 

 buy, and all the houses are equipped with 

 the C. W. Skinner patented system of 

 watering. In putting in this system they 

 have adopted some new features that it 

 will be well for others to pattern after. 

 One line is used to each house and is 

 supported as shown, in one of the accom- 

 panying illustrations, by a single wire 

 attached to the ridge and fastened to 

 a japanned ring, through which the pipe 

 is run. Their main leads across the 

 houses at the center, with the sprinkling 

 lines leading from each side. The other 

 illustration shows how this is done, and 

 also shows the combined union tee and 

 strainer as is used with this system. 



This firm not only finds that the Skin- 

 ner system saves them much labor in 

 applying the water, but state that the 

 cucumbers so watered show a marked 

 improvement over the hose watered 

 houses. 



Geo. Bayer, of Toledo, has also in- 

 stalled this system and expects good re- 

 sults with his chrysanthemums, which 

 are in the houses so equipped. 



Visitors to Washington next week de- 

 siring to see the Skinner system in opera- 

 tion can do so at the grounds of the 

 Department of Agriculture, or at H. A. 

 Dreer's, at Riverton, N. J., or at the 

 Cottage Gardens, Queens, N. Y. 



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Showing the Piping, Valves and Swivel Handles of Skinner System. 



