Tomato 



395 



manure usually gives up its fertility somewhat slowly 

 and tends to keep the plant in vigorous growth and to 

 delay fruiting. If, however, the soil has been made rich 

 by previous applications of manure, or of available 

 commercial fertilizer early in spring, the best results 

 may be expected. Experiments at Cornell University 

 have shown that a rather light single application of 

 nitrate of soda about the time the plants are set, gives 

 better results than twice that amount applied at inter- 

 vals as late as the middle of August. 



Tomatoes usually give earlier and better results when 

 the vines are trained; but the expense of training pre- 

 cludes its use in large commercial plantations. The best 

 mode of training for early results is to prune the plant 

 to a single stem, tying it to a perpendicular cord. The 

 cord is secured at top and bottom to horizontal strands 

 which are stretched between strong stakes. When 

 tomatoes are trained in this way, they may be set as 

 close as 18 inches apart in the row. There are various 

 styles of racks for supporting tomato plants. The best 

 are those that give the plants full exposure to sun 

 and allow all the fruits to hang toward the outside of 

 the trellis rather than to be covered by foliage. In com- 

 mercial plantations, the plants are allowed to spread as 

 they will, although the fruit -rot disease is usually more 

 serious under such conditions, particularly if the surface 

 soil contains much coarse manure. Pinching-in the 

 shoots is thought to conduce to early bearing. 



When frost threatens, the largest green tomatoes may 

 be picked and allowed to ripen in drawers or in other 

 dry and close places. Usually they color well and develop 



