TOMATO 283 
placed in the hole in the pipe the farthest from the end. Precaution 
must be taken not to let it in too far, or it will be troublesome to 
get the wire out after it is twisted. The handle is turned backward 
with one hand while the wire is held firmly against the pipe with the 
other. Two full turns of the handle are made, and the wire should 
be guided so that it will be near the outer end of the smaller pipe 
when the turns have been made. The straight end of the wire is 
then turned so that it is parallel with the pipe. The other end of 
the wire is then extracted from the hole by means of a screw- 
driver. The straight end of the wire is next placed in the hole near 
the end of the pipe and the handle given a half turn. This last 
move makes the loop to the wire and finishes the operation. The 
reason for turning the handle backwards in the first case is to make 
the wire so that it will screw into the soil the same as a screw turns 
into wood. If the handle is turned forward the wire will have to be 
screwed into the soil backwards. When a person becomes ac- 
customed to making the wires he can make at least 500 a day.” 
A few growers prefer to use very thin strips, as ex- 
plained for cucumbers on page 399. Others have found 
special wire trellises highly satisfactory. They may 
consist of five to seven wires running lengthwise of the 
house with cross wires at frequent intervals. The 
trellises are attached or hinged to pipe purlins above, so 
that they can be swung up out of the way when not in 
use, and dropped in a few minutes when they are needed 
for the support of plants.. This plan is most commend- 
able in every particular. An important advantage of the 
plan is that jarring the trellis to which the plants are tied 
with a stick at mid-day when the sun is shining is a most 
effective aid to pollination. See page 288. 
When twine supports are used, it is customary to tie 
the plants at about four points with raffia or coarse 
twine. The loops should be made as far as possible 
below the nodes of the plants, in order to provide more 
perfect support. An excellent plan is to coil the plant as 
it increases in height about the twine, when it is unneces- 
sary to make so many ties. 
All lateral shoots are pinched off, when they are very 
