TOMATO. 



205 



soil, and even if on rather poor soil will do better than most 

 crops. A southern slope is preferable, but they will ripen almost 

 anywhere if properly managed. The tomato pre-eminently needs 

 a warm place, and if rich manure is plowed into the soil it is 

 beneficial, since by its fermentation it raises the temperature of 

 the land. 



Transplanting and After-cultivation. — The plante should be 

 moved to the open ground as soon as all danger of severe frost 

 is past, which will r^enerally be about the 20th of May in south- 

 ern Minnesota and not until the 1st of June in more northern 

 sections. They should be set about five feet apart each way 

 and about six inches deep. If the stems of the plants when 

 planted out are very long, they should be partly buried under 

 ground. They need thorough cultivation, which can best be given 

 by a horse cultivator on a large scale. 



Pruning and Training. — Tomato nlants under field cultivation 



are generally allowed 

 " to run over the ground 

 in any direction and 



and training to a stake, 

 Figure 104.— Tomato plant growing- in a and then pinching off all 



arenottrained; but even 

 under this method of 

 management itisagood 

 plan to cut off a foot or 

 more of the ends of all 

 growing shoots about 

 the middle of August if 

 they are growing rap- 

 idly, so that all the 

 strength of the plant 

 may go to ripen the fruit 

 that is well formed and 

 still green. Some grow- 

 ers advise pruning off 

 all but one main stem 

 and two or three laterals 



