THE AMATEUR’S KITCHEN GARDEN. 227 
planted them in the gravel walks, opening, for each a hole 
with a trowel, and packing the roots in with a handful of 
leaf mould or nice compost to assist the plant at the first 
start, after which it had to find its food amongst the stones 
and brickbats. When so situated the plants need regular 
watering, and it will be good for them when the fruit is swel- 
ling, to give them a watering with liquid manure twice a 
week, though, if this be neglected, they will nevertheless 
produce an abundance of good fruit provided they have oc- 
casional showers and much hot sunshine. As they advance 
in growth they must be nailed in like wall trees, and have a 
little pruning to keep them in order. As soon as fruit ap- 
pears nip out the point of the shoot bearing the fruit, and so 
continue, taking care not to check the growth too much or 
the vigour of the plants will be injuriously reduced. If it is 
inconvenient to nail in the growth, a trellis may be provided 
by attaching to the wall a sufficient breadth of cheap wire 
netting, to which the shoots may be loosely tied, for as the 
shoots swell rapidly, they will soon be cut if tied close, but 
the ties must have some strength, because of the weight of 
the fruit they will very soon have to bear. 
If any plants are left over from the planting, it will be 
advisable to fruit a few in pots. Put them into ten-inch 
pots at once, using a strong soil, with a handful of smallish 
pieces of brick intermixed. Pot firm, keep in the house in 
the fullest light possible, and encourage growth, but take care 
to let them have plenty of air, or they will be injuriously 
drawn. As soon as requisite put a strong stake to each and 
tie in the leader, which stop at about eighteen inches. From 
the middle of June put them out of doors on a hot pavement 
or on a border, choosing for them, in any case, a position 
fully exposed to the sun, and where it will be convenient to 
water them regularly. In case of bad weather, as not un- 
seldom occurs even in the very midst of the summer, take 
them into a house for a time and bring them out again when 
the weather has mended. These pot plants will not occasion 
much trouble, and a very moderate amount of attention will 
ensure a fine crop of fruit. The advantage of pot culture is 
the certainty of the result, for in a bad season, when to- 
matoes in borders are a failure, the pot plants will save the 
credit of the garden by providing the house with ripe 
tomatoes. If the season is unkind throughout, they should 
be grown under glass from first to last. Q 2 
