7 «■ • 



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February 4, 1900. 



The Weekly Florists' Review. 



53 



dium, $6 to $8 box; cucumbers, No. 2, 

 $3 to $5 box; radishes, $1 to $1.25 box; 

 rhubarb, lOc to 12c lb.; chicory, 50c to 

 75e doz. ; lettuce, 40c to 75c box; mint, 

 50c to 75c doz. bunches; romaine, 75c to 

 $1 doz.; escaroUe, 50c to 75c doz.; dande- 

 lions, $2 to $2.50 box; beet greens, 75c 

 to $1 box; parsley, $1.50 to $1.75 box, 



TRAINING TOMATOES. 



But One Right Way. 



The best system for training hothouse 

 tomatoes is one point in tomato culture 

 upon which there is no longer any differ- 

 ence of opinion among experienced grow- 

 ers. There is but one right way and 

 that is the single-stem method, allowing 

 the plant to grow up like a tree and keep- 

 ing all branches nipped but as soon as 

 they are long enough to catch with the 

 point of the scissors. It is not neces- 

 sary to leave branches for the fruit to 

 come on, because the fruit clusters or 

 blooms grow right from the main stalk, 

 like a leaf. 



« All the branches would bear fruit, also, 

 in the same wAy, but a single stalk with 

 five to ten clusters of fruit on it is all 

 that one plant can support to good ad- 

 vantage. Plants allowed two or three 

 stems instead of one require more time 

 to get to bearing, on account of the 

 larger family the root has to provide 

 for, and a three-stem plant takes up just 

 the same space on the trellis as three 

 single-stem plants. Only so many stems 

 can be crowded into a house, no matter 

 how many stems are allowed to each 

 plant. 



Largest and Earliest Fruit. 



The fruit will also be a trifle larger, 

 as well as earlier, where the single-stem 

 system is used. Eecent experiments 

 where plants in the same house were 

 trained to one, two and three stems 

 proved that the single-stemmed plants 

 were earlier by starting to ripen two 

 weeks ahead of the two-stemmed plants. 

 The three-stemmed plants were still later 

 by over a week, and neither the two nor 

 the three-stemmed plants yielded as large 

 fruit or as many as two or three single 

 stems did in the same house at the same 

 time. Several different varieties were 

 used in the experiment. 



This training question is always before 

 the growers, because there are always 

 beginners who want to know just which is 

 the best method. 



Most growers plant their tomatoes out 

 one row to a bench, with the plants 

 about a foot apart in the row. Some 

 varieties require a trifle more room, on 

 account of large and heavy foliage. 

 Benches six or seven feet wide will ac- 

 commodate two rows of plants. 



Methods of Wiring. 



The plants may be trained up a string 

 by stretching a wire above the row and 

 another along on top of the soil, and 

 tying twine (four-ply jute is best) from 

 the upper wire to the lower one, for each 

 plant, as in stringing smilax. The plants 

 will grow about six feet tall. Another 

 good way is to stretch several wires one 

 above the other, a foot apart, like a 

 fence, tying each plant to each wire as 

 soon as up to it. This method is be- 

 coming more popular. 



Some growers practice topping the 

 plants when they have set five clusters. 

 This sends the strength to the fruit al- 

 ready set and matures it more quickly, 

 and at the same time it will branch out 



Early Tomato 



Is a wonder. It is MAKING GOOD wherever ^rown. 



If you grow tomatoes for eafly market you should use it. 

 If you grow tomato plants as a side line (there's money 



in it), it will make you a reputation. 

 It is very early. 

 It is a fine bright scarlet. 

 It is just the right size and shape. 

 It is the finest all-around tomato ever introduced. 

 It holds its size clear to the end of the season better 



than any tomato I have ever seen. 



Stokes' Bonny Best Early Tomato 



■« A wiiyMPP — 



Price, pkt., lOc; oz., 50c; X lb., $1.75; 

 lb., $6.00. Postpaid. 



(^/oAes S^^</ <^^^^. 



219 Market St., PHILADELPHIA, PA. 



Mention The Review when you write. 



Seeds for the Market Gardener 



• is our sDecialty. Quality our first consideration. We have a very large and complete 

 stock of all kinds of seeds and everythinu in the line of fruit trees, berry bushes, etc. 

 Our new 112-paKe catalogue contains true descriptions and no overdrawn illustra- 

 tions. Our prices are right, quality considered. Market Gardeners are requested to 

 write for our M. G. Wholesale Catalogue, sent free on request. 



GERMAN NURSERIES & SEED HOUSE, ,,SSR,iV». BEATRICE, NEB. 



Mention The Review when you wnt«» 



Seeds for Forcing 



LITINOSTON'S TRUE BLUE STRAINS 



L,ettiice- Grand Rapids.... >4-lb., 36c; lb., $1.25 



Radiflh-Fireball >4-lb., 16c; lb.. .60 



Radiah-Im. Scarlet Globe. 14-lb., 20c; lb., .60 



Radish— RoMT Gem Vlb.. 16c; lb., .60 



Tomato-L'a Globe, oz.,35c:>4-lb., $1.10; lb., 4.00 



Tomato-L.'MBeaaty,oz.,26c; >4-lb..50c; lb., 1.75 



If to be mailed add 8c per lb. for postage. 



LITINeSTON SEED CO., In IM, CoUmbas, Ohio 



Mention The Review when you write. 



freely and one of these upper branches 

 can be taken on up as the main stalk 

 and set several more clusters. 



It is important that the little shoots 

 or branches be removed when very 

 small. It will also be necessary to trim 

 the points off some of the leaves where 

 they lap over leaves on the next plant, 

 but trimniing the leaves too hard will 

 cause smaller fruit. H. G. 



giVE ACRES with the 



Skinner Irrigation will 



produce as much crops as 



TEN ACRES without it. 



The 



TROY, o. 



Beavee Dam, Wis, — Joseph "Wagner's 

 greenhouse was destroyed by fire at 1:30 

 a. m., January 16. The loss was in the 

 neighborhood of $3,000. Rebuilding 

 operations were begun immediately. 



