106 



CASSELL'S POPULAR GARDENING. 



Spanish, Tomate ; Italian, Tomo cCOro. — ^The Tomato, 

 or " Love-apple," a singularly beautiful, bright red 

 and orange fruit-bearing plant, a half-hardy annual, 

 and a native of South America, first introduced 

 into this country in the year 1596, has, like the 

 Jerusalem Artichoke, made, until recent years, slow- 

 progress in public estimation. At the j)resent time, 

 however, it is gaining in favour, and is become a 

 standing and popular addition to our culinary comes- 

 tibles. Its use is very various. Connoissem^s par- 

 take of the ripe fruits in the uncooked state, whilst 

 the chef de cuisine turns them to account in a great 

 variety of ways. Italian warehousemen, besides, are 

 intimate with Tomato ketchup, to saj' nothing of its 

 use as a preserve and pickle. 



Unquestionably the taste or liking for it is an ac- 

 quired one, on which basis it is likely ultimately to 

 become the most popular of any garden product 

 grown for similar purposes. The plant is a very 

 robust, enduring one, though its growth as concerns 

 leaf and branch formation can be advanced to any 

 degree without the needful result of producing good 

 supplies of large and fine fruits. Its being of 

 free and easy growth as a plant will tend to increase 

 its culture in the future, especially when cultui-ists caii 

 be made to understand the very simple rules, which 

 it is necessary to follow in view of insuring abundant 

 fruitfulness, to which reference will be especially 

 made. 



For the summer crop, sow seeds earlj- in the 

 month of March. These may be sown in pots, 

 boxes, or frames, as may be most convenient, as they 

 germinate and grow very easily. When the young- 

 plants possess two or three rough leaves, pot them off, 

 putting each into a small-sized single pot, or three 

 plants in each large sixty-sized pot, at equal dis- 

 tances apart round its sides. When these have per- 

 fected a moderate first growth, carefully remove them 

 from these pots, separate the roots, and pot each by 

 itself singly into similar-sized pots. Keep the young 

 plants at all stages of growth where plenty of fresh 

 air can reach them, and well supplied with water. 

 Between April 25th and May 2nd arrange to place 

 the plants in a cool frame, facing full sunshine, giving 

 air freely except in cold weather, especially during 

 frosty nights. About May 22nd turn each plant 

 out of its pot, and plant at the foot of a south-aspect 

 wall, after having first prepared the ground for them. 

 They should be planted at distances of ten or twelve 

 inches apart, on any site where head-room sufficient 

 exists for them to grow, and be trained in position 

 for fruiting. The custom is to take advantage of aay 

 vacant space existing between wall fruit-trees grown 

 upon such an aspect. Where this is not obtainable 

 an east-aspect wall or fence should be chosen. 



The soil which the Tomato succeeds best in, and 



the only soil, in fact, suited to it, is a light loam of a 

 sandy nature. A little decayed manui-e should be 

 forked into it, and slight mounds should be made 

 above this wherein to place the roots. So soon as 

 planted nail each plant to the wall, make the soil firm 

 around its base, and give a good Avatering to settle 

 the soil firmly around the roots. During the next 

 two months following encom-age growth by every 

 possible means, nailing as many of the shoots as form 

 to the wall without unduly crowding any. When 

 the wall is thus filled with the main shoots in such 

 manner that room for more does not exist, then, and 

 only then, cut away all minor ones, or such as push 

 up below and unduly crowd any moi-e robust and 

 needful. 



Do not, as is so common a practice in this 

 country, resort to pinching off the points frequently 

 during the whole period of growth. Such a iDractice, 

 the origin of which it is most difficult to determine, 

 is, to say the least, reprehensible. It checks growth, 

 often causing such flowers as form to turn " blind " 

 in the efforts made by a plant of most robust consti- 

 tution at a renewal of the very growth it is deprived 

 of. By permitting the plants to grow naturally until 

 such time as a goodly head has been formed, and 

 upon that head a plentiful supply of flowers, which 

 w'ill " set " and form fruit, much more heavy and 

 abundant crops can be secured than by any such re- 

 strictive system as above. Even in the gardens of 

 the Royal Horticultural Society, p)lants of this kind 

 have been seen treated probably more harshly than 

 anywhere, being towards autumn simply stems, two 

 or thi-ee feet in height, with meagre crops. On the 

 other hand, the wiiter of these remarks has grown 

 upon two plants in one nine-inch pot forty-two 

 pounds Aveight of fruit, which w^as verified by 

 witnesses, who saw a dozen of such pots similarly 

 laden with fruits ; no stopping ha^dng been done to 

 these plants until the month of August. 



In America, where this plant is highly valued, and 

 where its crops are considered already "the most im- 

 portant of all garden products," such liberal treat- 

 ment is more generally practised. Their climate is 

 better suited to it, certainly, but no effort has yet 

 been made to follow out their simple process of 

 culture. They raise plants upon moderate hot-beds, 

 transplant them on the same, and finally transplant 

 the young seedlings on to mounds of sandy soil, 

 having a "spit " of good manure placed under each. 

 The distance betw^een these hills is from three to 

 five feet. The object here is to expose the base of 

 the haulm of the plant to the utmost heat of the 

 sun constantly, and to keep it somewhat dry. 



Yet another important fact in connection with this 

 plant has been entirely overlooked in practice. It is, 

 that naturally it is of recumbent habit of growth ; 



