210 



THE 



A RDENERS" 



MAG A ZINE. 



Al'RlL 



2, igtf. 



it ; but to me there seems only one remedy, and that is fire, though I do 

 regret that I did not know what it was at first. 



Outdoor Tomato Culture 



NOW that tomato cultivation has become 



lC i uiai • • iMuw uiax lumaiu — — "« uecome so popular i n f 



Such are the sentiments of a market grower, who has good reason for eagerly sought after, especially by amateurs, and as I have recl^u \ 

 heinaacoininted with the black currant bud mite, for in a few years he several letters, many from readers of the Gardenfp* m Y 

 ^J^^li^Tr^ of income. This is not a solitary mstance, agki for informat ion, I may be allowed to make, f Magazix^ 



- ' . a le w remarks con. 



has lost the principal source of income. Ih.s is not 

 and the question at issue is whether, if something . 



s not done to deal 



eftc I w K 7£n7. .he cul«i»a.io„ of the black c-rran, in Eng. 



land will not become an industry of the past. In Kent the fruit is largely 

 grown, but when the advent of the mite means the ruin of a plantation m 

 so short a time, a general spread of it would make the extermination of 

 he fruit by no means impossible. Perhaps the strongest hope lies in the 

 introduction of a variety that is proof against it, though in such an 

 acquisition quality has also to be considered. It is only reasonable to 

 suppose that propagation from infested stocks is a great incentive to he 

 growth of the pest, but there appears to be so little known of the life 

 history of the mite, that it is difficult to say definitely how it spreads. 

 One thing, however, is certain, that among the many enemies of the 

 fruit grower this is one of the most deadly, and at the same time the 

 most mysterious. It is a question that calls for the efforts of scientists 

 and others, and should not be looked at in the light of learning the ways 

 and habits of an interesting, though invisible, insect, but more from the 

 fruit grower's point of view, to whom it is a desperate enemy, and one 

 that seems to become more forcible year by year. It is when among 

 growers who are dependent on black currants to pay their rent that one 

 sees the trouble caused by this unseen foe, and the urgent necessity of 

 means to check the evil. As vet it does not appear to have generally 

 reached an advanced stage, though judging from our scanty knowledge 

 of the pest, and the uncertain means of combating it, we must face the 

 fact that we are in danger of being beaten by an invisible foe. H. 



Peaches in the Open. 



It 'is" always a pleasing stimulant to read "Lux's" " Morning Mixture." 

 Perhaps all the more so because we cannot always agree with him. ( The 

 concluding paragraph of his last mixture is keenly satirical, but it is too 

 obvious that some of his latest utterances on potato culture maintain dead 

 silence on greening and ending up of seed potatos as among the surest 

 modes of preventing disease, and of hastening maturity, improving the 

 sample and adding to the weight and bulk of the produce. 



I am in no fighting mood, though I cannot agree with him that the 

 high level of out-of-door peach culture in the olden time, of which I have 

 heard and seen a good deal, was, or is, very much of a myth. No, friend 

 " Lux," it was solemn fact, to be reckoned with and learned from if we are 

 to come up to the level of our fathers. Copings, prunings, fly nettings, 

 &c, may have exerted a powerful influence on the out-of-door culture of 

 peaches in British gardens, but the strong statement that peaches are 

 indubitably more tender than apples, pears, or plums I cannot endorse. 

 Where the crops of the last three have been ruined peaches have again 

 and again escaped. " Lux " will no doubt say, Yes, but your peaches were 

 on walls, and the other fruits in the open. Yes and No, is my answer. 

 Of course, none of us have succeeded, unless in very exceptional sites, 

 soils, and seasons, in ripening peaches or nectarines of high quality in 

 the open air. But, on the other hand, who amongst us have not lost 

 crops of plums and pears on the same walls on which peaches have 

 ripened in safety? I think, however, it would be safe to assume when 

 " Lux " writes of the hardiness or tenderness of these he means under their 

 ordinary conditions or environments of culture ; that is, the peaches on 

 walls and the apples, pears and plums in the open. And if so, I can 



give an emphatic No to his assertion that the peach is indubitably the 

 more tender. 



Then M Lux" has another strong string to his bow. Look, he exclaims, 

 over large nursery quarters after a severe frost, and the true lesson of the 

 general non-success of peaches out of doors will be learned at a glance. 

 Well, I have often looked, and have failed to learn the same lesson of the 

 tenderness of peaches as "Lux." Allow me to say what I have learned : 

 The crying evils of gross stocks, rich soils, heavy manuring ; the concen- 

 tration of the vigour of the maiden peaches into shoots long and strong 

 as fishing-rods, making them delicious tender food for the first hungry 

 taste of Jack Frost, and model homes for canker, mildew, and all the 

 diseases that peaches are heir to in our fitful climate. But I have also 

 seen thousands of young peach trees, under less stimulating cultural 

 environments, with wood and buds of moderate size, hard and brown 

 almost as nuts, and so thoroughly ripe and dormant as to pass through 

 our normal frosts in the open with impunity ; though, of course, after 

 October or November planting, the safety of such trees is made doubly 

 secure by affording them the shelter of a wall. 



The decline and fall of our modern culture of peaches in the open-air 

 in Britain — if it has declined and fallen, which I am not at present 

 careful to prove— has come about, not from the cooling down of our 

 climate, but for lack of the due preparation of our young trees, and more 

 careful culture and training of the old ones. " Lux " will hardly deny that 

 our fathers spent far more time on the nurture and training of their 

 peaches and other wall trees than we do to-day. Glass has long been 

 the rage and fashion in horticulture, and grapes and other fruits under 

 glass, orchids, chrysanthemums, fine foliage plants, &c, absorb much of 

 the time, the skill, and the patience that used to be devoted to peaches 

 in the open. Even " Lux n himself seems to have something of this spirit 

 when he penned the sentence about copings, prunings, greenfly, &c. ; 

 yet I am sure he would be the last to deny that one cannot grow perfect 

 peach trees or fruits and greenfly together. Our fathers fought the latter 

 to the death with the garden syringe or engine, and if modern growers 

 had the time and the patience to go and do likewise it would be found 

 that their success was no myth, but sober, every-day fact. The cry of 

 most peaches in the open to-day is not for a warmer climate, but more 

 water at top or bottom. D ^ FlSH 



had 



art, 



reining tuv — » ^fitv.auie. it 15 ]ust n n c ki 



amateurs to grow their own tomatos, provided they have a s 11 *" 



that receives a little sunshine ; but very much depends u'nnnT 

 ™ - > ■ • if - - - * upon trie energy 



cerning the cultivation of this vegetable. It 



and care of the cultivator. If 



purcnase a iew strung luwarus tne end of May but 



of a greenhouse or frame they may be raised very easily 

 door culture tomatos must never at any time be coddled hi 



y means 

 For out- 



first be brought up hardily For outdoor crops two sowing T 

 always to be made to provide a succession, because the earlier ^ 

 will in a long season become exhausted ; whereas in a later Vanetles 

 there will be a lot ripening upon the plants which will keen \L S ° W ' n . g 

 going well nigh on to Christmas, and this is a distinct advantage \l™ 

 known a cottager to keep tomatos up to Christmas. e 



Seeds should be sown in a pot or small box, but either should K. 

 1 drained, that is, put plenty of broken potsherds at th* kJL_ 



oddled, but from the 



well drained, that is, put plenty ot broken potsherds at the" bottom 

 of the pot or box. If a few plants only are required, I s houM 



he use of five-inch pots, there not h*;™ ,„ a 

 anxiety about damping off with such, 

 sown from about the third week 



strongly "advise the use of five-inch pots, there not being « 0 n3 



n * m * . The first batch Should 2 



# in February to the second 



week in March, the time entirely depending upon the means 

 at hand to subsequently grow them on. If these are in a frame previously 

 placed upon a bed of leaves, or other fermenting material, the seedling 

 will begin to show in a temperature of fifty-five degrees, in about eight to 

 ten days ; and as soon as they are well up admit a little air for an hour 

 or two each day, but this must be given at the back or top of the 

 and the light should be tilted up with a piece of wood or a small stone • 

 about half an inch will be ample, unless the sun shines very hot when 

 more would be necessary at the middle of the day. While upon this 

 subject, I would lay stress upon airing at the top, instead of the bottom, 

 for by opening at the highest point, the moisture escapes at once, and 

 after this, fresh air comes in gently or gradually, and takes the place of 

 the moist close atmosphere. All airing should be done upon similar 

 lines. 



Soil used for seedlings need not be very rich, but a good mixture for 

 potting should consist of fresh turfy loam with a very small quantity of 

 leaf soil and spent hot-bed or mushroom manure, the whole to be used 

 rough ; a few handfuls of bone-meal may be mixed with the soil, for the 

 last potting, with considerable advantage. When the seedlings are 

 about three inches in height, they should be pricked out singly into small 

 pots, and great care should here be exercised that the stem be not 

 squeezed or injured, as this may cause a check, if not absolutely kill the 

 tender plant ; after the operation of potting off is finished, put the plants 

 back into the frame, or on a shelf in the house where they may be kept 

 close for a day or two to enable them to establish themselves in the new 

 soil, after which they may be aired again daily, and above all kept near 

 the glass, in order to keep them dwarf and stocky. When the pots are 

 full of roots, another shift into larger pots should be made, and still 

 another, the soil being about the same as before, but made very firm. 

 Gradually give more air and finally expose altogether under a wall, or 

 other suitable protection, but they should be covered up at night with 

 some light protecting material, and even after they are planted out they 

 should be protected in case of frost. 



When ready for planting dig out a hole and put therein a little 

 fresh soil, such as collected road scrapings, this furnishing excei.em 

 material for tomatos. The plants may be placed in the open ground u 

 no wall space be at command, and trained up sticks or hurdles, or, a 

 fact, anything to keep them from touching the ground. As they make 

 growth carefully watch them, and tie with strong ratfia as often as » 

 necessary so to do. Never 



breakages will occur, and all ^ ~* * - r n 



months will be undone. As the plants make headway caretuii) p 

 out all the side shoots or laterals. This is necessary to keep tne ma 

 stem strong, and one stem, as a general rule, will yield a good supP^ 

 excellent fruit ; but if it is desirable to have several stems the poim 



neglect this duty at the proper time, or 

 the care and work of perhaps a couple <* 



i._ u <-arpfilllV DIDCE 



be pinched out quite early, so that all the stems intended to ^ g _ 

 nuy be of equal strength. If extra fine fruit are desired tne c i 

 should be thinned directly it is seen how many fruits have set. w» 8^ 

 growing season the plants should never sufter from drougnt, ou 

 be fed now and again with farmyard liquid or other manure, oDtai^ ^ 

 Other uses may be made of spare tomato plants, iney 



wind uses may ue maue ui ni f Uvelline-hOUSa> 



grown in pots and trained over arches or porches ot a* en . * ^ . 

 and when such positions are due south I have seen excellent ( 

 or they may be trained in a variety of fancy ways, as tne> c. * ^ 

 to travel at the will of the grower. All those fruits tnat a ^ . % 

 during September should be taken inside, when they may u • ^ 

 - — * * •■ • - * - Examine them trequciiuj! . .. 



a warm place where it is not damp. Examine men. , ^ „ 



them if it is necessary. The best variety I have grown™ and of 

 Carter's Outdoor, a free grower that produces Jrwtt wry / ^ g 

 good 

 Sutton 



s uutdoor, a tree grower that prouu^c=» «*..» - van ety b 

 shape, colour and flavour. Another very we »; kno ; own is H* 

 — u's Earliest of All. The best late variety I na\ e g ^ outdo* 

 Green, but I should strongly advise all who inte f n f he fi ^ st .nientioo^ 



tomatos largely to make early and late sowings 01 w« 



sorts. 



Compton Basset. 



W. A. COOS. 



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