THE TOMATO 199 



Gathering and Packing the Fruit. — Towards the end of July some of 

 the earliest fruits will show signs of ripening. They must be gathered before 

 they are quite ripe and placed in cold frames (with the lights on) on a dry 

 bottom, one layer deep only, and exposed to the sun. Admit plenty of air. 

 This treatment will greatly improve the quality and colour of the fruits. A 

 week's exposure will be long enough. They will then be in condition for 

 market or home use. The fruits should be sorted into at least two qualities, 

 and towards the end of the season perhaps three, when some of the latest fruits 

 will be of inferior quality and suitable only for the manufacture of sauce. The 

 first quality, which should be of one size and good colour, must be packed 

 separately, and these ought to realise top prices. The second quality, smaller and 

 of less attractive appearance, should bring little less than ad. per lb. Strong 

 cross-handle baskets, holding from 12 to 20 lbs., are most satisfactory for packing 

 tomatoes in for carriage by road or rail. The fruit should be looked over at 

 least every other day while ripening, and, as I said before, gathered some days 

 before it is ripe. When despatched to market it must be firm and solid, or it 

 will get bruised in transit and its value depreciated. 



Where walls or palings are available much better crops can be had ; indeed, 

 I have had as heavy crops from low walls facing south out-of-doors, as I have 

 had from under glass. I believe that the better return from the tomato when 

 planted against a warm wall or fence would soon compensate the grower for 

 the cost of its erection, and prove an excellent investment. When the plants 

 are planted against walls or fences the border must be well manured, and 

 more water given than when they are in the open. 



Varieties. — -These must be limited to the medium-sized ones. Sutton's 

 Open Air is one of the hardiest and best for this purpose ; its fruits set well, 

 and grow to a good size. They are, however, slightly corrugated, a fact that 

 somewhat lessens their market value. Chemin and Comet are both excellent. 

 Frogmore Prolific has succeeded well with me in the open, and it is one of the 

 most handsome, and consequently a good one to sell. Sutton's Early Market : 

 one of the best for market, and well suited for growing out-of-doors. Dickson's 

 Early Ruby : this is a variety that sets its fruit freely, crops heavily, and is of 

 attractive appearance. 



Golden Varieties. — These are more tender, do not succeed so well out- 

 of-doors, and therefore are not often planted. Golden Jubilee is one of the 

 hardiest and best. 



Ornamental Fruiting Tomatoes. — The Red and Yellow Cherry and the 

 Currant are among the best of these. When grown in pots they are very 

 ■decorative and useful. At the end of the season there will be some small and 

 unripe fruits left. If placed in slight heat they will ripen, or they may be 

 made into sauce or tomato chutney. 



TOMATO CULTURE UNDER GLASS FOR MARKET 



The culture of the tomato under glass for commercial purposes has now 

 assumed enormous dimensions both in England and in the Channel Islands. 



