ON TOMATO CULTIVATION. 



427 



should be broken up finely, so as to prevent injury as much as 

 possible to the young and tender roots when transferring 

 them to small pots. The seeds should be sown about half an 

 inch apart, and thinly covered with soil. If the soil is inclined 

 to dryness, it would be better to water it before sowing rather 

 than afterwards. A sheet of glass placed on top of the seed pot or 

 box will prevent the depredations of vermin, and keep the soil 

 in a uniformly moist condition. A temperature of from 60° to 

 65° Fahr, will be suitable for the germination of the seeds. When 

 the seedlings are well above the soil, they should be placed close to 

 the glass to prevent them becoming drawn up and weakly. When 

 they have made three or four rough leaves, they should be care- 

 fully removed from the seed pots, and placed singly in small 

 pots. It is advisable to cover the stem right up to the cotyle- 

 dons, or seed leaves, to induce the formation of roots that will 

 afterwards contribute to form a healthy, vigorous plant. From 

 pots 2\ inches in diameter they may be transferred to others 

 5 inches across, and subsequently into 10-inch pots, which are 

 quite large enough to support a good crop of fruit, or they may 

 be planted out in a prepared border of soil. Under no circum- 

 stances is it advisable to allow the plants to become root-bound 

 before they are placed in their fruiting quarters. 



All of our plants, both in 1896 and 1897, were grown singly 

 in pots 10 inches in diameter. The mould used in the fruiting 

 pots was of a heavy and adhesive description. It was taken 

 from a pasture field, and was stacked for a few months previous 

 to using, in order to destroy the vitality of the grasses and other 

 indigenous plants growing upon it. Nothing was added to the 

 soil at the final potting with the exception of a small quantity 

 of lime rubble, for supplying food to the plants, and to prevent 

 the soil from becoming too adhesive. The pots were efficiently 

 drained to allow the superfluous water to pass away freely. 

 When the plants are well established in the fruiting pots, and 

 have a large expanse of foliage, they require a copious supply 

 of water to take the place of that which is dispersed by the 

 evaporation from the soil and by transpiration from the leaves ; 

 therefore it is necessary that provision should be made to 

 allow surplus water to escape, otherwise it would cause the soil 

 to become sour and inert ; a condition that would be detri- 

 mental to the health of the plants. Growers should be very 



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