TOMATO 291 
and are effective under different conditions. The most 
thorough method is to collect the pollen grains in a 
shallow receptacle like a glass or a small ladle and then 
to pass from flower to flower. The receptacle, attached 
to a slender handle about 15 to 18 inches long, is held 
under the flower, which is tapped or jarred with a spatula 
or a small stick. If the flowers are sufficiently developed 
to be discharging pollen, a visible quantity of the grains 
will soon be collected, and then the operator proceeds 
from flower to flower, holding the ladle so that the 
stigmas of each pistil will come into contact with the 
pollen grains as each flower is tapped. The quantity of 
pollen gradually increases as the work proceeds. This 
seems like a very slow, tedious task, but the increased 
yields may more than pay for the expense involved. 
This method is especially desirable, because of its thor- 
oughness, for use during the winter months. 
Some growers pass from flower to flower with a 
camel’s hair brush. Under favorable conditions sufficient 
pollen will adhere to the brush to make the method fairly 
effective, but it is not as thorough as when a shallow 
receptacle is used. 
The commonest plan in pollinating for the spring crop 
is to jar the plants. This is generally done with a padded 
stick or perhaps a piece of rubber hose placed over a 
stick of convenient length. The stem of the plant should 
be tapped near the flowers which it is desired to pollen- 
ize. Growers who use a rigid wire trellis simply jar it 
at intervals of several feet. This plan results in heavy 
settings of fruit when English varieties are used, such as 
Comet and Peerless. When the jarring method is used 
the plants or trellises should have daily attention. Every 
other day is considered sufficient when each flower is 
separately pollinated. 
Inasmuch as the earliest fruits command the highest 
prices, and weather conditions are usually most unfavor- 
