TOMATO 285 
likely to occur during the winter months when there is so 
much dark, cloudy weather. During the bright spring 
and warm summer weather an enormous amount of 
water can be applied without danger of injury. At this 
season of the year it may be necessary to water daily or 
even twice a day under certain conditions. 
The method of watering should have careful considera- 
tion. Watering has a very close relation to the question 
of pollination. (Page 288.) A dry atmosphere is most 
favorable to the discharge of pollen and the setting of a 
maximum number of fruits. It is also important to pro- 
tect the flowers from water, which may wash away the 
pollen grains and thus result in a small setting of fruit. 
The foliage, too, when it becomes wet, is more sus- 
ceptible to fungous diseases of various kinds. Overhead 
watering is used to a considerable extent in growing 
tomatoes, but it is readily seen that the arguments are in 
favor of applying water with a hose, care being taken to 
keep the plants as dry as possible. From the standpoint 
of saving labor, avoiding diseases and securing a heavy 
crop of fruit, sub-irrigation seems to possess special ad- 
vantages. Experiments made by Waid in a two-year test 
on raised benches at the Ohio station gave the following 
results: 
Method of Yield per Av. sizes Amount of 
watering square foot of fruit rot per sq. ft, 
Ibs. Oz 0z oz 
Surface watered ------- 1 15.0 5.0 4.7 
Sub-irrigated ---------- 2 4.5 5.9 19 
“With two houses, each having 9606 square feet of bench space 
planted to tomatoes and both treated alike except in the manner of 
watering, the sub-irrigated house would yield, calculating the yield 
according to the above table, 330 pounds more of tomatoes than the 
surface-watered house. The surface-watered house would give, on 
the other hand, 168 pounds more of fruit affected by rot than the 
sub-irrigated house.” 
Temperature—The night temperature for tomatoes 
should never be lower than 60 degrees, and the tempera- 
