May U, 1893. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
873 
gressive. Too much in the early stages of growth hinders the forma¬ 
tion of roots by souring the soil; too little when the plants attain to a 
fruiting state causes the flowers to drop. The rule to follow is v/ater care¬ 
fully until established. When fruiting commences and heavy crops 
draw upon the plants’ resources water abundantly. Do not wait at any 
time for the plants to flag, but anticipate their requirements. With rapid 
evaporation in hot sunny weather, and the soil fully occupied with roots, 
water is needed often twice a day, each time reaching the most distant 
rootlet. Half supplies may keep the plants in existence, but they will 
not promote their vigour and productiveness. 
Training-. 
The Tomato is naturally a wild grower and needs a certain amount 
of restriction. There is no need to dwell on the disadvantages of 
crowded growth. If too rank it will produce nothing, or at the best 
poor fruit. The energy and vigour of the plants are wasted unless each 
branch has room to extend with space laterally so that a due amount of 
light and air can reach every leaf. The principles of training the 
Tomato are these : Each branch will produce fruit providing it is allowed 
space on each side of not less than one foot from the adjoining branches. 
There are constantly appearing from the axils of the principal leaves on 
every main branch a succession of side shoots which, if allowed to grow, 
are the means of choking the plants with useless growth. These need 
constant suppression soon after their appearance, when they can be easily 
rubbed out. After attaining to more than an inch or two in length they 
must be cut out. The most satisfactory plants, as a rule, are those 
trained to a single stem, no other main growth being allowed, and all 
the side growths carefully removed. Large, fine fruit and abundant 
crops as a whole are secured by this method. Plants, however, in every 
case need not be confined solely to one stem ; more may be allowed with 
good results, but each must be treated exactly like the single-stemmed 
examples, all lateral shoots being rigidly suppressed as they appear. 
The bunches of flowers are produced on the main stems quite sufficiently 
numerous to form good crops of fruit resembling in quantity “ ropes of 
Onions.” 
Setting the Blooms. 
There is not much difficulty in setting abundance of fruit when good 
culture is intelligently carried out. Everything is then favourable to 
proper fertilisation, provided the atmosphere is warm and dry in the 
middle of the day and a continuous current of fresh air freely circulates 
about the plants always. But as a sure and certain means of securing 
a good set it is very little trouble to go over each plant, gently tapping 
the bunches of bloom for the purpose of dispersing the pollen. Do this 
at, or shortly after midday. Some growers syringe lightly to effect the 
same purpose. I prefer the former way. Others never trouble at all 
about fertilisation, but leave it to correct methods of management 
affecting it naturally. 
Top-dressing. 
As before stated the first top-dressing is given when fruiting 
commences. Only a slight dressing of a couple of inches is given each 
time, and it should consist of rich material. Loam and manure, with 
a little bonemeal, soot, and wood ashes all well combined together, 
form an admirable mixture which the plants appreciate, as evidenced 
by the avidity with which numerous white rootlets take possession of 
it and appear on the surface within a week after the material has 
been applied. I continue applying top-dressings of this kind until the 
pots are filled. 
Feeding. 
Up to this stage feeding with liquid manure has not been practised 
because not found to be really necessary. The mass of roots now in 
possession of the plants through the multiplication of fibres from con¬ 
tinual top-dressing renders something necessary which can penetrate 
quickly through the whole mass and carry rich nutriment with it. 
Nothing can do this like liquid manure made from animal deposits, 
varied sometimes with sprinklings of artificial manure well watered in. 
Clear soot water is an admirable stimulant, and can be easily made by 
mixing soot with water at the rate of a peck to thirty gallons, clarifying 
it—that is, making it clear—with a spadeful of quicklime well stirred 
in. After a few hours this will be clear enough for use. 
The Importance of Air, 
One of the most important requirements of Tomatoes is a constant 
supply of fresh air. 1 am convinced that many houses of Tomatoes are 
ruined through neglect of this. Tomatoes cannot succeed with weakened 
stems and soft foliage, the result of too little air. Such plants are prone 
to disease, especially if alternations of temperature should ensue. By 
this I mean a great disparity between the day and night temperature, so 
that an excessive deposition of moisture takes place upon the stems and 
foliage. This, going on for some time, produces disease, or rather 
prepares the plants for its reception. The antidote to disease is abund¬ 
ance of air from the early stages of growth, at the same time using a 
little fire heat, especially in dull cold weather, a buoyant dry tempera¬ 
ture being very beneficial to the steady development of the plants, ai 
well as the free setting and perfect flavouring of the fruit. 
Perhaps the question may be asked. How is it that you recommend 
t’ne employment of fire heat in summer, when it is a well-known fact 
that Tomatoes will succeed without/ Well, the answer is that they 
succeed better with when it is used with discretion. 1 think it wise to 
continue it until the end of June, admitting plenty of air constantly to 
the house. After that period it may, in the best summer weather, be 
dispensed with, resorting to it again, however, during wet sunless 
periods, as it is at these times that fungoid germs float in the atmosphere, 
and where they can find a suitable host plant on which to settle they 
fortwith develop and multiply amazingly fast. The aim of the culti¬ 
vator should be to so grow and manage his plants that they become 
disease-proof. The air in the interior of the house mainly dry and kept 
in circulation by the constant entry of fresh will effect this most 
desirable end. 
Cool house treatment in warm summers is prolific of good results. 
In houses of this kind the plants are best grown in pots, so that heavy 
FIG. 63.— IRIS SAARI NAZARENSI3. 
crops of green fruit in autumn may stand a chance of being ripened by 
the pots being conveyed to warm structures. 
Varieties. 
There are abundance of good varieties. The leading kinds at the 
present time are Ham Green Favourite, Conference, Challenger, 
Acquisition, Hackwood Park, and Perfection among the red ! 
while Blenheim Orange, Golden Queen, and Dessert are the best yellows. 
—E. D. S. _ 
IRIS SAARI NAZARENSIS. 
The charming Iris for which Mr. T. S. Ware, Hale Farm Lurseries, 
Tottenham, received an award of merit at the meeting of the Royal 
Horticultural Society on Tuesday, April 11th, will make a useful and 
welcome addition to the number of beautiful forms of this family 
already at our disposal. It is a dwarf grower, the stem rising about 
9 inches above the ground level, and the flowers are very attractive. 
The standards are transparent white, the falls white dotted thickly 
with brown, and with a large purplish patch in the centre. lig. 68 
represents it. 
