THE AMATEUR’S KITCHEN GARDEN. 
229 
temperature of 60° to 75°. Keep them cool at first by venti- 
lating freely, but be careful not to carry the cool treatment 
too far, and indeed, they must have the help of fire heat from 
the time they are taken in, to render more safe the necessary 
ventilation. An occasional syringing on a fine morning will 
do them good, and when they are bearing freely they should 
be assisted with weak liquid manure. 
The Spring Crop is best secured by striking cuttings in 
December and January. These should be shifted on until 
they fill eight-inch pots, which is the utmost space to be 
allowed them. There must be no stopping, they must have 
all the light possible, and as regards temperature, should 
have the same range as advised for the winter crop. 
Selection of Varieties. — As remarked above, the Common 
Bed will answer every purpose if appearance is of quite se- 
condary importance. It will be observed that the first flowers 
that appear on the tomato plant are usually, in the common 
red variety, fasciated, that is, two or three flowers are amal- 
gamated, and the appearance is that of a “ double” flower. 
These fasciated flowers produce fasciated fruits, which are 
characterised by deep furrows and dark broad rough seams, 
which mark them into distinct divisions, and produce a very 
ugly appearance at the crown. If the double flowers are 
pinched out, and the plant is allowed to swell off only a 
moderate crop of fruits from single flowers, the Common Ked 
will produce fruit scarcely less handsome than the named 
varieties ; but when left to itself, the earliest and largest 
fruits are generally ugly ones. The most distinct of the 
named sorts are Heppers Goliath, and Trophy, which are 
especially valuable for exhibition ; for general usefulness, 
combining beauty and productiveness, Earley s Defiance is 
first-rate. The Orangefield and Powell’s Early are good. The 
Upright and the Common Yelloiv are scarcely worth growing. 
Amongst the fanciful varieties that may be safely commended, 
a first place must be given to Carter s Green Gage, a smallish 
spherical fruit of a greenish-yellow colour, remotely resem- 
bling a green gage plum. The Pear-shaped, Cherry-shaped , 
and Bed and Yellow Currant are interesting as pot plants, 
or for adorning a rough trellis ; but where a few useful to- 
matoes only are wanted, it is sheer waste of time to sow seed 
of any of these small-fruited varieties. On the other hand, 
the amateur who has any fancy for growing a collection of 
