THE VEGETABLE GARDEN 



211 



the Spring greens are available in 

 abmidance until hard freezing 

 weather. If the outside leaves 

 only are taken in gathering a 

 picking may be made every few 

 days, or the large, mid-ribs may 

 be stewed or creamed like Celery. 

 Give the same culture as you give 

 Beets, and thin the plants out to 

 6 or 8 in. in the row. 



TOMATOES 



As soon as danger from late 

 frost is over, set out the strongest, 

 stockiest plants you can find, 

 even if you have to pay several 

 cents more apiece for them. A 

 half handful or so of bone or 

 guano in each hill will produce a 

 strong start. However, a little 

 chicken manure, or a well rotted 

 . compost may be used for this 

 purpose. Set the plants deep, even 

 if you cover several inches of stem , 

 as new roots will be formed all Swiss Chard 



the way up, and you will be 



better prepared, therefore, for dry weatner. For garden culture the 

 plants should be supported by 4 to 5 ft. stakes, a trellis, or the specially 

 prepared circular Tomato supports now available. Set them from 18 in. 

 to 2 ft. apart in rows 3 to 4 ft. apart. As soon as the plants reach the 

 tops of the stakes, nip off the terminal buds. This strengthens the vine 

 and gives more nourishment to the fruit. Two dozen pjants or so, if they 

 are well cared for, will provide an abundance of fruit for the average family. 

 If you intend to can for Winter supply, fifty plants is none too many for a 

 family of five or six persons. To get the earliest and the smoothest fruits, 

 keep the vines tied up to stakes or trellis with raffia, strips of cloth, or soft 

 twine, as they grow. Train each plant to not more than 3 or 4 stems by 

 pinching off the side shoots which appear in the axils of the leaves. Avoid 

 injuring the flowering or fruit buds. An intensive method of culture is to 

 set plants 16 in. apart in a double row 18 in. apart, leaving a space of 3 ft. 

 between the rows. The plants are pruned to single stems and trained to 

 stakes 4 to 5 ft. long. By this method the fruits which do set will have more 

 nourishment and more sunshine than if the vines are allowed to grow bushy 

 and sprawl on the ground. Remove all suckers from the base of the plant. 

 The newly set plants must be protected from cutworms with paper collars 

 or poison baits, but strong, pot-grown plants are likely to defy them, as 

 they are too large and tough to be eaten through readily. By the proper 

 choice of early and late varieties a succession of good Tomatoes may be 

 had. Just before danger of frost pick all the mature fruits and pack them 

 in straw in a coldframe to rioen ud. In this way they may be had for 



