284 VEGETABLE FORCING 
small, with the thumb and finger. The plants should be 
looked over at least once a week so that none of them 
will attain any considerable size before being removed. 
When the plant reaches the desired height, the terminal 
is pinched off. Most growers prefer plants that are 6 to 7 
feet high. In eastern sections they are sometimes grown 
to a height of 8 to 10 feet. Alertness is required to 
observe all the lateral shoots and to avoid pinching off 
the terminal shoot before the desired height of the plant 
has been secured. 
Growers do more or less pruning of the leaves. This 
seems to be an advantage when the growth is very rank, 
but it is a matter which should be managed with extreme 
care. Excessive defoliation is certain to result in dimin- 
ished fruit production. When the lower leaves become 
badly diseased, they should be promptly removed and 
destroyed. 
Watering.—Tomato plants require an abundance of 
water, and this is especially true after they have grown 
to a height of several feet. There is always danger of in- 
sufficient water being applied and the moisture failing to 
reach the bottom of the beds. In very heavy soils which 
do not contain enough organic matter, repeated watering 
on the surface of the ground is likely to compact the soil 
and thus prevent the percolation of the water to the full 
depth of the beds. This is one of the main arguments for 
mulching with manure or watering by means of sub- 
irrigation. When the supply of soil moisture is insuffi- 
cient, blossom end rot of the fruit is likely to occur, the 
plants will not be thrifty in growth and the fruits will be 
small. While an abundance of moisture is absolutely 
necessary, a saturated condition of the soil must also be 
avoided, for this invariably causes the growth of weak, 
spindling plants with yellowish leaves and low fruit pro- 
duction. Diseases are also more destructive when the 
soil contains too much water. Over-watering is most 
