6o4 



TOMATO CULTURE UNDER GLASS. 



summers, is unquestionable. During the past three or 

 four years the tomato seed industry has become import- 

 ant, but a small acreage will supply the demand for that 

 purpose. In Los Angeles, the growers sell to canners 

 at $8 a ton ; in Santa Clara the price is but f6, the fruit 

 to be picked and delivered. If even this very low 

 price could be maintained, however, an unlimited sup- 

 ply might be furnished with profit to the growers, so 

 large is the yield ; but the canneries are often glutted, 

 and the quotations are but nominal. 



The beet sugar factories promise large results. J. B. 

 Hudson, of Watsonville, last year grew 8,417 pounds 

 of sugar per acre on a tract of ten acres, and won a 

 prize of $500 from Mr. Claus Spreckles. From a thou- 

 sand acres cultivated in this district, fifteen thousand 

 tons of beets were dug, for which the farmer received 

 $5.25 per ton. Some of the beets yielded over 20 per 

 cent, of sugar. No crop is more important, in view of 

 the great and increasing demands of the canners for a 

 cheap and good sugar, and even the free traders in Cali- 

 fornia desire the beet sugar industry to have a chance 

 to get under way. Table beets are grown all the year 

 round, and are one of the cheapest vegetables in the 

 markets. 



Among the vegetables that are abundant and cheap 

 in California the egg-plant deserves mention. The 

 fruit, as seen in the market is often from eight to ten 

 inches in diameter, and of most excellent quality. 

 The cauliflower is extremely abundant. Watermelons 

 are often "on hand" for Thanksgiving, and sometimes 

 even for a New Year's dinner. Sweet corn continues 

 from early spring to November. Carrots and beets are 

 grown for cattle-feed, and generally stay in the field 

 until wanted for use. Turnips are not a field crop, ex- 

 cept in some of the northern coast counties. 



In conclusion, the cost of " California vegetables at 

 home" is perhaps worth a word from the housekeeper's 

 standpoint. A young couple built a little cottage and 

 began housekeeping. The investment of five cents at 

 the door when the vegetable peddler came round daily, 

 the housewife found, procured "three tomatoes, two 

 cucumbers, and about four turnips," all large, fresh, 

 and the best of the season. Other vegetables were 

 about the same price, except cauliflowers, an extra fine 

 head of which costs five cents. An average expenditure 

 of five cents a day, the year round, was sufficient to get 

 vegetables for a vegetable-loving family of two. 



Charles H. Shinn. 



TOMATO CULTURE UNDER GLASS. 



O SUCCESSFULLY grow the 

 tomato under glass requires 

 careful exercise of judgment 

 on the part of the grower, 

 rather than strict adherence 

 to any set rules. The follow- 

 ing notes, however, are offered 

 as general hints to guide the cultivator : 



Heat, light and pure air in abundance are the first 

 requisites of success. Remembering the habitat of the 

 tomato in its wild state, and noting the effect on the 

 plants in the garden, of cold, dark days in spring and 

 fall, we can readily understand the necessity of the first 

 two elements. Pure air is necessary in order to avoid 

 the influences of the constantly changing temperature 

 outside, and that the condition of the atmosphere in the 

 house may be under better control. The above condi- 

 tions are all best obtained by having a large house. 

 Twenty by fifty feet is a good size. 



To make the best use of the house, two crops should 

 be grown during the season. This will bring each crop 

 at a season when the expense of heating, during a part 

 of the time, will be light. Plants for the first crop 

 should be started about the first of August. If the 

 house is large, or if two or more houses are to be used, 

 more seed should be sown in about three weeks to give 

 a succession. For the second crop, seed may be sown 

 in November. The plants will then be ready to take 

 the place of the first lot when the fruit is off in January. 

 We have tried several kinds of receptacles for the 



pLints when put in place for fruiting. Among these 

 were ten-inch pots, and ten-inch wooden boxes, each 

 containing one plant ; eighteen-inch boxes containing 

 four plants, and the open border. The eighteen-inch 

 boxes have proved most satisfactory. These boxes are 

 made a foot deep. In the bottom, cracks are left or 

 holes bored for drainage. In preparing the boxes for 

 the plants, place a good layer — at least an inch — of 

 charcoal, broken crockery, or "clinkers" from the fur- 

 nace in the bottom ; then fill to within two inches of the 

 top with rich garden soil, or better, with prepared soil 

 consisting of three parts fibrous loarh, and one part well- 

 rotted stable manure. This method provides sufficient 

 body of earth to prevent rapid drying out ; and still the 

 roots are somewhat confined, thus tending to induce 

 earlier maturity of fruit than in the open border. The 

 method is well represented by the accompanying cut, 

 from a photograph of our tomato house last winter. 



The fruit is always borne on one side of the stem, and 

 it is a common notion that the plants must be so placed 

 chat this side of the stem shall be toward the sun. This 

 precaution is entirely unnecessary. 



In training, the plants are tied to small cords fastened 

 to the corners of the boxes and attached above to wires 

 running lengthwise of the building on the rafters. All 

 side shoots should be removed as often as once in two 

 weeks. As the fruit sets, the clusters should be sup- 

 ported by means of a cord or a piece of raffia passing 

 around the main stem, below a leaf to prevent slipping, 

 and forming a ' ' sling. " 



