426 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
[ May 2!, 1890. 
amateur cultivator, and for this seed should be sown by the end of 
February or beginning of March, and when only a few are required I 
should recommend sowing them singly in 3-inch pots—as many pots as 
there are plants required—or sown very thinly in 6-inch pots ; and here I 
may say that I attach great importance to their sowing. I have seen some 
growers who, perhaps, only require a dozen or two of plants get a packet 
of seed and sow the whole lot in a small pot or pan ; they come up like 
Mustard and Cress, and draw each other up with stems as fine as 
needles, and no matter how carefully they may be singled oS numbers 
of them will damp off, and those which do survive never make strong, 
sturdy plants, which alone are capable of carrying a heavy crop of 
fruit. 
The seed should he sown in light sandy compost, and placed on a 
gentle bottom heat until they have germinated ; but as soon as the 
plants appear not a day must be lost before removing them to a shelf as 
near the glass as possible, where they may remain until they show the 
first rough leaf, when they must be potted off singly into 3-inch pots, 
burying the stem nearly up to the seed leaves, and replace as near the 
light as possible. For this potting a light free compost may be used, in 
which the roots will readily begin to work. In the course of a fortnight 
or three weeks the young plants should be ready for another shift, when 
they may be shifted into 6-inch pots, using a somewhat stronger 
compost—good fibrous loam, with a little leaf mould and sand, pressing 
it in rather firmly, and burying as much of the stem as possible. They 
should be placed in a good position near the glass, the ohject being to 
get them hard, the growth thoroughly solidified as well as sturdy. By 
the end of April or early in May they will have filled their pots with 
roots, and the first truss of bloom will be visible in the points of the 
plants. Do not allow them to become root-bound, or they will soon 
have a stunted and yellow appearance of the foliage, which will take 
them a long time to grow out of, but measures must at once be taken to 
place them in positions where they are intended to fruit, either in large 
pots, or planted out in borders, as the case may be. 
In my own experience I have had the best results from pot culture, 
but where it is not possible to give them constant attention planting out 
will be the safest. For pot culture 1 find the 12-inch pot the most 
suitable size. 
The soil used for this potting is one of the most important points in 
the culture of the Tomato, and it is one in which a large majority of 
cultivators make a great mistake, and that is making the soil too rich. 
The result is a very sappy and gross growth, predisposed to disease. Old 
soil, or soil that has been used before for the same crop, should be 
avoided, as also should all animal manure, for I have proved it to he 
the reverse of beneficial to these plants. The soil I use for the final 
potting is a poorish yellow fibrous loam, dug about 3 inches thick, and 
stacked about three or four months, or just long enough to kill the 
grass. This we chop up with a spade, but leave it rather lumpy, to 
every barrowful of which I add a 6-inch potful of bonemeal and a 
shovelful or two of wood ashes. Well mix it together, and it will be 
plenty rich enough either for pots or borders. In potting place three 
or four largish crocks in the bottom, then a little of the roughest mate¬ 
rial over them ; place the plant well down in the pot, so as to get as 
much of the stem buried as possible. Press the soil very firmly in, 
using the potting stick or rammer, for that induces a short-jointed 
growth and a disposition to fruit. At this potting the pots should 
not be more than two-thirds filled, which leaves space for a rich top¬ 
dressing after the fruit is set. When potting is completed they should 
be at once placed in the position they are intended to permanently 
occupy ; a good strong stake put to each plant, long enough to support 
them up to the wires or trellis they are to be trained upon. 
If they are intended to be grown on the single stem or cordon 
system, all side growths should be pinched out as soon as they can be 
taken hold of, net allowing them to make strong growth, and then 
ruthlessly cut all off with a knife. Such treatment weakens the plant, 
and very frequently lays the foundation of disease in the stem. The 
plants show trusses of bloom when only about a foot from the rim of 
the pot, and about every second or third joint right away. In that 
way they go to the extent of about 6 feet up the roof, when the leader 
may be stopped, and all growths removed as fast as they appear. The 
foliage also should be kept comparatively thin by shortening the leaves 
gradually ; the point or terminal leaflet may be pinched off when the 
leaf is quite young, and the leaf may be reduced about a third, or not 
more than half after the fruit is set and swelling. 
Daring the flowering period a little trouble may be taken in 
fertilising the flowers. In the middle of the day, when the pollen is 
dry, a sharp rap on the trellis is perhaps the readiest means of dis¬ 
tributing the pollen. Properly fertilised flowers invariably afford the 
best shaped and fullest crop of fruit. Watering is an operation which 
should be very carefully attended to, especially during the flowering 
time, and at no time do they require half the water that some think 
necessary for their well being. If the soil is kept rather dry, the atmo¬ 
sphere warm, but dry and buoyant, there is no danger of not having a- 
good set of fruit. When water is required it should be applied in the- 
morning, so that any which may be slopped about the house will be 
evaporated before the house is closed for the night, for a humid atmo¬ 
sphere is very detrimental to their well being. If planted out in a 
border a mulching will help to prevent evaporation, and if grown in 
pots the advantage is on the side of plunging ; it will help to keep the- 
soil in a nice intermediate condition without having recourse to such- 
frequent waterings, for the less they have to be watered the better they 
will succeed, but at the same time the soil in which they are growing 
should never be absolutely destitute of moisture. 
The Tomato has of late years been subject to many diseases, severa-® 
large market growers, more especially in the Channel Islands, being 
obliged to give up their cultivation in consequence of its ravages- 
There would seem to be several forms of the Tomato disease, but the 
most to be dreaded is the destructive parasite or fungus known as the 
Cladosporium Lycopersici. This fungus causes the decay of the fruit. 
It begins with a minute black spot, which surrounds the small decaying: 
style, gradually increasing in size by new circles of growth till at last 
the whole substance is blackened and destroyed. The Potato fungus, 
Peronospora infestans, sometimes attacks the plants, causing great- 
destruction ; but I think, with proper treatment, these diseases are in a 
great measure preventible. What is needed to guard against these 
diseases is a moderately warm and dry atmosphere. A liberal circula¬ 
tion of air on all favourable occasions promotes a firm sturdy growth, 
which is almost impervious to disease, while, on the contrary, plants 
which are given a loose rich soil with abundance of water both at the 
roots and in the atmosphere will produce a soft and sappy growth, toe- 
strong to insure their setting fruit freely, and very liable to fall aa 
early prey to disease. If, however, the disease should unfortunately 
appear, after every precaution has been taken to prevent it, steps must- 
be at once taken to prevent its spread, otherwise a whole houseful of 
p''ants will soon be ruined, for it soon communicates itself to healthy 
plants if the treatment is not changed and a remedy applied at once- 
It is surprising how quickly the whole tissues of the plant become 
diseased, and once it reaches this stage all remedies are hopeless 
nothing then remains but to burn the plants, for they never by any 
chance do any more good ; all new growth becomes diseased just when 
hopes are entertained of the plants recovering. The moment it showe 
itself all infected leaves, fruit, and any portion of the stem should be 
cut away and burnt and the plants well dusted with powdered sulphur 
the hot-water pipes may also be painted over with sulphur. This will 
destroy the fungus and save the house of plants, other conditions being 
at once rendered favourable. Neglect for a few days may result in all 
the plants having to be destroyed. 
Great fluctuation of temperature, or a long continued low temperature, 
with an atmosphere nearly saturated with moisture, are both a fruitful 
cause of disease, but no fear of an attack from fungus need be antici¬ 
pated if a pretty regular temperature of from 60° to 65° by night with 
a rise to 70° or 75° in the daytime be maintained, with abundant ven¬ 
tilation on all favourable occasions, exercising great care and judgment 
in watering, and using a very firm soil, which produces a growth of 
moderate strength, that is firm and short jointed ; this is essential to- 
success. 
After a crop of fruit is set, and swelling the plants will require- 
some stimulant to assist them in swelling the crop, and this is- 
best supplied with surface dressing of artificials, and watered in, in 
preference to liquid manures, which at best are of only uncertain 
strength, and, with constant use, apt to sour the soil and destroy 
many roots. There are many kinds used, but my favourite is Standen’s. 
A light sprinkling of this manure applied every ten days will give them 
all the support required to enable them to perfect a firm crop. Tomatoes- 
have become very popular in the last few years, so popular, in fact,, 
that the supply is not yet equal to the demand, and there is no reasort 
why everybody with however small an amount of glass should not 
successfully grow good Tomatoes, provided he has properly prepared 
plants to start with. Many failures in Tomato culture may be attri¬ 
buted to planting thin lanky objects that have been drawn up in a 
strong heat, and much crowded. More fruit will be obtained from 
six sturdy short jointed plants than from two dozen such as I have 
described. 
