1966 



ENCYCLOPEDIA OP PRACTICAL HORTICULTURE 



toad will be worth $21.60. Indeed, in 

 France gardeners sometimes pay $25 per 

 100 for them, besides offering other "spe- 

 cial inducements" in the way of conven- 

 ient places to hide in the daytime or a 

 little pond in which to breed in the 

 spring. Besides the host of cutworms the 

 toad will eat 1,800 thousand-legged worms, 

 2,160 sow-bugs, 3,240 ants, 360 weevils, 

 etc. He will thus destroy in three months 

 9,720 injurious insects. Greenhouse men 

 frequently cultivate their acquaintance for 

 their value in keeping down slugs, sow- 

 bugs, plant lice and other greenhouse 

 pests. 



They may be encouraged to stay if 

 shallow holes are dug for them and cov- 

 ered with a flat stone or board, where they 

 may hide in daytime. 



Tomato 



One of the nightshade family, and 

 closely allied to the potato, grown more 

 in the United States than anywhere else. 

 A native of Western South America. 



Pear Tomato. 



Tomato Culture 



W. H. Wicks 



*Where the growing season is shorty 

 due to late spring and early fall frosts, 

 tomato growing is not encouraged. The 

 vines under these conditions will develop 

 a heavy yield of fruit but they cannot ma- 

 ture it. 



Location 



In Northern Idaho and Washington the 

 desirable locations for tomato growing are 

 to be found on the warm slopes of the 

 rolling hills which comprise the Palouse 

 country. Freedom from frost, good soil 

 drainage, and distance from market or 

 transportation must be carefully consid- 



* Idaho Experiment Station Bulletin 76. 



ered by the prospective tomato grower. 

 If one can locate in a district where a 

 canning factory is established, it will be 

 found a great aid in disposing of that part 

 of the crop which he does not care to pack 

 for fancy trade. 



Soil 



The tomato adapts itself quite readily 

 to a number of different types of soil. 

 Such factors as frost, length of growing 

 season, altitude, sunshine and moisture 

 supply, influence the total results in to- 

 mato growing so strongly that the char- 

 acter of soil is to be made one of the 

 least considerations. 



The type of soil which will warm up 

 early in spring and retain moisture rea- 

 sonably well is to be preferred over those 

 soils which are commonly spoken of as 

 ''late." Especially is this true in the non- 

 irrigated sections where a longer growing 

 season is desired. 



Seed 



Seed should be purchased from some 

 firm which makes a specialty in tomato 

 seed. It is seldom wise for the tomato 

 producer to grow his own seed, unless he 

 intends to select for certain character- 

 istics which will keep up the type of the 

 variety which he is growing or unless he 

 is endeavoring to secure new strains. 



Careful judgment should be exercised 

 in choosing tomato seed. Good seed must 

 be true to name, viable, pure, and be of 

 the greatest possible longevity. Buy the 

 best seed that the reliable seed man has 

 to offer. Buying cheap seed is poor econ- 

 omy. Seed should be ordered in ample 

 time to secure a good choice. Some grow- 

 ers test their seed before planting, which 

 is a very desirable practice, but a larger 

 number of plants than necessary should 

 always be grown, to give an opportunity 

 for selecting only strong, vigorous plants 

 for planting. 



Varieties 



The tomato fluctuates rapidly according 

 to environmental factors. This should be 

 kept in mind at all times. Novelties are 

 constantly appearing and disappearing. 

 The grower must decide which are the 

 most desirable for his use. The range of 

 conditions found in the Northwest has 



