338 



THE GAKDENER'S ASSISTANT. 



wholesale removal of the lower leaves is but 

 a poor way out of the difficulty. After re- 

 peated trials we have come to the conclusion 

 that a distance of not less than 3 feet should 

 separate the rows, the plants in the rows being 

 12 inches apart. Given this space there will 

 be no necessity to remove many leaves, but 

 they usually require to be reduced to about 

 one-half their natural size, according as they 

 begin to press against each other. For these 

 later crops the smooth round varieties are 

 very suitable, those of a medium size, such as 

 Cropper and Champion, finding most favour in 

 the markets, while the larger varieties, of the 

 Duke of York type, are preferred for exhibition 

 purposes, heavy as well as handsome fruit being 

 needed. 



If the plants have been prepared as already 

 advised, and planted before they become root- 

 bound, progress will be rapid from the first. 

 The soil about the roots must be made quite 

 firm. The plants when young must not suffer 

 for want of water. Later on they will require 

 copious supplies, which should be given as 

 much as possible in the mornings of bright 

 days with a view to getting the house dry 

 before night. A mulching of rotten straw 

 manure saves the hose or watering-pot con- 

 siderably, but it is thought to favour the spread 

 of fungus and other diseases, that attack the 

 underground portion of the stem and cause 

 the collapse of the plants; still, this may be 

 risked. It is a great mistake to delay removing 

 the side-shoots until a knife has to be used 

 (see Fig. 1108), better attention repaying well, 

 as shown in Fig. 1109. 



As the days lengthen, and it is possible to 

 ventilate more freely, a good set of fruit is 

 easily effected ; but no risks should be run, and 

 the padded stick must be used daily as long 

 as necessary. If handsome fruit are required, 

 on no account neglect the early removal of 

 the central ugly flower, and if the other flowers 

 are thinned out the rest will be stronger, and 

 if duly fertilized will develop finer fruit. If 

 the flowers have not been thinned, then the 

 number of fruit must be reduced, that is, if 

 show examples are wanted. Topping the lead- 

 ing growths beyond the second or third cluster 

 of fruit may have the effect of slightly increas- 

 ing their size, but, as a rule, no topping need 

 be practised till the tops of the stakes or the 

 roof is reached. Sometimes the plants next 

 to the sides or fronts of houses are not topped 

 when the glass is reached, but are allowed to 

 extend up the roof, when they continue to fruit 



heavily till later in the season, those under- 

 neath being cut out as fast as they are cleared 

 of fruit. There should be enough heat in the 

 hot-water pipes to maintain temperatures not 

 lower than 55° during the night; a slight heat 

 in the pipes during the day, accompanied by 

 top-air, more or less according to external con- 

 ditions, serves to keep the house dry and the 

 air buoyant. Never delay opening the top 

 ventilators till a high temperature, accompanied 

 by a great increase in the humidity of the 

 atmosphere, is reached, nor close early enough 

 to bring about the same undesirable state of 

 affairs, as this invariably leads to a rapid spread 

 of fungus diseases, " scalding " of the fruit, and 

 the like. The season of 1898 was one of the 

 worst on record as far as Tomato diseases were 

 concerned, but little or nothing was seen of 

 them in houses where little or no fire-heat was 



given. 



Autumn and Winter Crops. 



The demand for Tomatoes is greatest from 

 May to September, but it is considerably on 

 the increase during the colder months of the 

 year. Trade growers will therefore do well 

 to meet this demand, while private gardeners 

 will gain credit with their employers if they 

 also grow as many as possible for late autumn 

 and winter consumption. There is really no 

 good reason why they should not be far more 

 plentiful in winter than they are. 



The secret of success, if secret it may be 

 termed, lies in realizing the fact that Tomatoes 

 fail to produce perfect flowers late in the year; 

 but this difficulty can be surmounted by start- 

 ing the plants soon enough to flower and set 

 the fruit before dull, sunless weather sets in, 

 these ripening in succession throughout the 

 winter. But for the Potato disease the simplest 

 plan would be to grow enough plants in pots in 

 the open, and when these were well set with 

 fruit, or say about the middle of September, to 

 house the whole of them. The Bouille Borde- 

 laise or sulphate of copper and lime remedy is 

 too destructive to the flowers; but a mixture 

 of sulphate of copper and lime in a powdered 

 state, and applied through a dredger or other 

 distributor, would check the spread of disease 

 without greatly injuring the flowers. For 

 these late crops, whether they are to be wholly 

 or only partially grown under glass, it is a 

 mistake to start later than May for plants to 

 be prepared in the open, or the early part of 

 June for any to be grown wholly under glass. 



