CULTURAL DIRECTIONS 
461 
The proper planting distances should be determined 
by the productiveness of the soil, vigor of the variety to 
be grown and by the method of culture or system of 
training to be followed. In thin soils and with early 
varieties 3x3 feet apart will be satisfactory. In many 
soils 3 to 3^ x 4 feet are good distances for early varie- 
ties ; 4x4 and 4x5 feet are common planting distances 
for late varieties. Even more space is often allowed in 
soils where a rank growth is secured. 
The usual methods of transplanting are employed. In 
the canning districts transplanting machines are in 
common use. 
654. Cultivation. — Clean tillage is essential to large 
fruits and high yields. Some hand hoeing is required, 
although this work will be slight if the plants are set in 
check rows. 
655. Training. — The pruning or training of tomatoes 
is not generally practiced, except in greenhouse culture, 
where single-stem training has met with universal favor. 
This system is also used to some extent in field and gar- 
den culture. The advantages claimed for it are: (1) 
The bulk of the fruit ripens earlier than under natural 
methods; (2) there is less trouble from various fungous 
diseases; (3) the fruit is larger and finer in every particu- 
lar; (4) the fruit is clean when picked, thus the expense 
of preparing for market is reduced; (5) spraying and 
cultivation may be continued longer because the vines 
are not lying prostrate on the ground and interfering 
with these operations; (6) harvesting is more conveni- 
ent; (7) on account of earlier maturity the land may be 
used for a second crop of vegetables, or for a cover crop 
to be used for manurial purposes. 
While the results secured by many practical growers 
and the rather numerous investigations at the experi- 
ment stations support the foregoing arguments for this 
system, some practical growers are opposed to it and 
