Vegetables with Edible Fruits 181 



cheese-cloth or cotton cloth until the plants are fairly- 

 large; and in case of ground free from weeds, and 

 where the land is fairly moist, the seed may be sown in 

 the field, if there is no likelihood of heavy washing from 

 rains. 



For commercial growing, the seed is sown thinly and 

 the plants left in the seed-bed, with perhaps some thinning, 

 until they can be set out in the field. But if it is found to 

 pay, the seeds may be sown thickly in part of the cold- 

 frame, and picked out when they are an inch or less high. 

 In temperate latitudes more transplanting is sometimes 

 done, but it has been found by experiment to lessen the 

 crop and delay the matxiring of the fruits, and also involves 

 extra cost. 



Soil for tomatoes. 



For the winter crop, the soil should be a warm sandy 

 loam with a gentle slope to the south. While this is not 

 always obtainable, it is very desirable to have at least a 

 general slope to the south. By careful tests it has been 

 proven that soil that has a southern slope may be five or 

 six degrees warmer than that which has a northern slope. 

 For this reason a clay or marl loam should be avoided, ex- 

 cept where the crop is wanted for the late market; in 

 such a case a clay or marl soil will be found well adapted. 

 Another important point in locating a tomato field is to 

 have a good wind-break to the north, east, and west. 

 Many cold winds that are not severe enough to freeze 

 will be harmful to the plants. In fact, any temperature 

 below 45° will be found detrimental to the plants, and 

 will be all the more so if accompanied by high winds, as 



