338 
THE GARDENER’S ASSISTANT. 
wholesale removal of the lower leaves is but 
a poor way out of the difficulty. After re¬ 
peated trials we have come to the conclusion 
that a distance of not less than 3 feet should 
separate the rows, the plants in the rows being 
12 inches apart. Given this space there will 
be no necessity to remove many leaves, but 
they usually require to be reduced to about 
one-half their natural size, according as they 
begin to press against each other. For these 
later crops the smooth round varieties are 
very suitable, those of a medium size, such as 
Cropper and Champion, finding most favour in 
the markets, while the larger varieties, of the 
Duke of York type, are preferred for exhibition 
purposes, heavy as well as handsome fruit being 
needed. 
If the plants have been prepared as already 
advised, and planted before they become root- 
bound, progress will be rapid from the first. 
The soil about the roots must be made quite 
firm. The plants when young must not suffer 
for want of water. Later on they will require 
copious supplies, which should be given as 
much as possible in the mornings of bright 
days with a view to getting the house dry 
before night. A mulching of rotten straw 
manure saves the hose or watering-pot con¬ 
siderably, but it is thought to favour the spread 
of fungus and other diseases, that attack the 
underground portion of the stem and cause 
the collapse of the plants; still, this may be 
risked. It is a great mistake to delay removing 
the side-shoots until a knife has to be used 
(see Fig. 1108), better attention repaying well, 
as shown in Fig. 1109. 
As the days lengthen, and it is possible to 
ventilate more freely, a good set of fruit is 
easily effected; but no risks should be run, and 
the padded stick must be used daily as long 
as necessary. If handsome fruit are required, 
on no account neglect the early removal of 
the central ugly flower, and if the other flowers 
are thinned out the rest will be stronger, and 
if duty fertilized will develop finer fruit. If 
the flowers have not been thinned, then the 
number of fruit must be reduced, that is, if 
show examples are wanted. Topping the lead¬ 
ing growths beyond the second or third cluster 
of fruit may have the effect of slightly increas¬ 
ing their size, but, as a rule, no topping need 
be practised till the tops of the stakes or the 
roof is reached. Sometimes the plants next 
to the sides or fronts of houses are not topped 
when the glass is reached, but are allowed to 
extend up the roof, when they continue to fruit 
heavily till later in the season, those under¬ 
neath being cut out as fast as they are cleared 
of fruit. There should be enough heat in the 
hot-water pipes to maintain temperatures not 
lower than 55° during the night; a slight heat 
in the pipes during the day, accompanied by 
top-aii', more or less according to external con¬ 
ditions, serves to keep the house dry and the 
air buoyant. Never delay opening the top 
ventilators till a high temperature, accompanied 
by a great increase in the humidity of the 
atmosphere, is reached, nor close early enough 
to bring about the same undesirable state of 
affairs, as this invariably leads to a rapid spread 
of fungus diseases, “ scalding ” of the fruit, and 
the like. The season of 1898 was one of the 
worst on record as far as Tomato diseases were 
concerned, but little or nothing was seen of 
them in houses where little or no fire-heat was 
given. 
Autumn and Winter Crops. 
The demand for Tomatoes is greatest from 
May to September, but it is considerably on 
the increase during the colder months of the 
year. Trade growers will therefore do well 
to meet this demand, while private gardeners 
will gain credit with their employers if they 
also grow as many as possible for late autumn 
and winter consumption. There is realty no 
good reason why they should not be far more 
plentiful in winter than they are. 
The secret of success, if secret it may be 
termed, lies in realizing the fact that Tomatoes 
fail to produce perfect flowers late in the year; 
but this difficulty can be surmounted by start¬ 
ing the plants soon enough to flower and set 
the fruit before dull, sunless weather sets in, 
these ripening in succession throughout the 
winter. But for the Potato disease the simplest 
plan would be to grow enough plants in pots in 
the open, and when these were well set with 
fruit, or say about the middle of September, to 
house the whole of them. The Bouille Borde- 
laise or sulphate of copper and lime remedy is 
too destructive to the flowers; but a mixture 
of sulphate of copper and lime in a powdered 
state, and applied through a dredger or other 
distributor, would check the spread of disease 
without greatly injuring the flowers. For 
these late crops, whether they are to be wholly 
or only partially grown under glass, it is a 
mistake to start later than May for plants to 
be prepared in the open, or the early part of 
June for any to be grown wholly under glass. 
