September 19. 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
479 
tlian thinning-out the shoots well, securing those that 
are left to the wall, and otherwise checking that redun¬ 
dancy of sap which is directed more to the production 
of wood than ripening the fruit. Some other conditions, 
however, must be borno in mind at the same time, 
which it would be prudent here to notice. 
Believing that the Tomato is, in most instances, 
planted against walls, or close fences of some descrip¬ 
tion, the above remarks are mostly intended that way; 
but they are sometimes grown as standards, tied to a 
stake, like Raspberries: when that is the case, the 
thinning and tying up must be equally attended to, as 
well as stopping the shoots and thinning the fruit, 
otherwise an overgrown mass of foliage will be the 
result. Now, this thinning and stopping is, no doubt, 
detrimental to the plant, as shown above, but that we 
do not care for, so long as we obtain fruit in a good 
condition; and, further to encourage that object, or, 
rather, perhaps, to check the other, we adopt the 
necessary plans to limit, or check, the growth of un¬ 
called-for wood and foliage, by attacking the roots as 
well. This process is also very simply done — for, 
thrusting a spado down all around the plant, at the 
distauce of about eighteen inches from it, its principal 
feeders are cut, and the plant, deprived of the principal 
means of increasing its dimensions, is forced to apply 
its remaining energies in perfecting the fruit allowed to 
’ remain on, which, with now and then picking off a few 
leaves, will allow the plant to indulge its fruit with all 
the sunshine the season affords, and its swelling and 
ripening may be depended on with more certainty. 
Small fruit may also be picked off as they show them¬ 
selves, if it should appear not likely for them to ripen, 
for they only weaken the plant, and divert it from 
directing its whole energies to the perfection of what 
fruit it ought to ripen. 
It was long thought this plant was almost proof 
against either insect or disease, or, at any rate, was 
seldom afflicted with either to the extent that others 
were. This, however, must now be received with a 
qualification; for I have seen plants which seemed to be 
strongly tinctured with the Potato disease, or something 
very like it—certainly not this season; but last year it 
was so, and, in many places, very few good fruit were 
saved, even where everything seemed to tend to their 
advantage, save the season, which, as will be remem¬ 
bered, was a very bad one for such things. Now, as the 
plants showed every symptom of disease, it is not un¬ 
likely to visit us again, when everything conspires to 
make it do so; but, whether it had any analogy with 
that to which its near relative was afflicted with, or 
whether it was a premature decay, caused by the un- 
genial climate it had to endure, I leave for others to 
determine; but the suddenness of the attack, com¬ 
bined with other circumstances, would favour a belief 
that it was related to the former in other respects. 
The Tomato seems capable of struggling against 
any other enemy it is likely to encounter—unless it be 
king frost, whose arrival is death to it; but a careful 
cultivator will sometimes save his plants for a little 
time by some homely covering, in order to perfect their 
| ripening; for, though that can, in a manner, be done by 
' hanging the full-sized fruit up in some warm place, 
' still, it is not so good as when done on the plant, neither 
is it at all so well for the fruit keeping; but, when 
necessity calls for the fruit’s removal, a dry vinery, or 
other place, will do to hang them in, and it is surprising 
how full-sized green ones will attain colour, without 
withering so much as might be expected ; but, of course, 
they are not so good as those ripened sooner on the 
plant, aud fully exposed to the mellowing influence of 
sunshine and air. 
After writing thus far I may mention that, as far as I 
am able to learn, the crop of Tomatoes 6eetns very 
promising in most places, the fine sunny weather we had 
the latter part of August, and beginning of the present 
month, having, in a great measure, compensated for the 
dull and cold season of Midsummer ; and I need hardly 
say, that other things have benefited equally by the 
agreeable change. But, as the Tomato requires all the 
heat that our summers afford, it frequently happens 
that, in a very dull and cold one, it refuses to ripen its 
fruit entirely, unless when placed under advantageous 
circumstances. This led some cultivators to try the 
plan of rearing their young plants the preceding 
autumn, and, carrying them through the winter, they 
thought something might be gained that way; but I 
have uever been able to obtain fruit any earlier by so 
doing, and the many mishaps the plants are subject to 
at that inclement season renders it a matter of much 
doubt whether it is worth the trial or not, and, as the 
seeds easily vegetate in the dark days—say after the 
ne\v year—young plants, of any reasonable size, may be 
had by the planting-out time; in fact, they grow so fast 
that they speedily become too large for their pots, and 
for the space allotted them; for it must be remembered, 
at that important season every nook and corner is filled 
with something or other, so that room for bulky plants 
of Tomatoes cannot well be spared. 
Although there are several varieties of Tomato, the 
Lunje common Reel is the one most grown ; but there is 
a yellow one held in some esteem for certain purposes; 
but, as the habits and other features of the plants are 
the same, one description will do for all. One thing, 
however, is necessary to say. that when large, fine fruit 
are wanted, it is advisable to save the seed from such 
as are really fine, for where this plan has been followed 
out for a number of seasons, a decided improvement is 
perceptible; and, although I am not prepared to say 
that any advantage arises from selecting the earliest 
ones, yet it is reasonable to suppose that such an 
advantage does exist. Keeping the fruit in dry sand 
during the winter I have found a better way than by 
washing out the seed and putting it away in papers, 
besides being a less troublesome one; and, I need 
hardly say, that for seed purposes, damaged fruit are 
quite as good as sound ones, only, as stated above, they 
ought to have been originally largo and fine. 
° J. Robson. 
WELLINGTON, SHROPSHIRE, POULTRY SHOW. 
This annual meeting was held on the town Bowling 
Green, September Oth, and following day. No exhibition of 
poultry could have improved more rapidly than the present 
one over that of last year. The arrangements were very 
complete^ and effective; the committee providing every 
possible comfort for the poultry exhibited, and also for the 
numerous visitors. The whole of the extensive Green was 
surrounded with a double tier of pens of poultry, over which 
a sloping wooden roof extended some eight or nine feet 
from the fronts of the pens, affording every necessary shelter 
from the excessive sunshine, as it would, also, from, rain, 
had it unexpectedly occurred. This plan was the.subject of 
much commendation, as was also the great promptitude with 
which the fowls were returned to their owners at the close 
of the exhibition; features well calculated to add to the 
success of future meetings. Many of the most highly- 
reputed amateurs contested for the prizes, and the result 
was, in almost every class, the competition, was extreme. 
The adult Spanish were, from moulting, considerably out of 
condition, but the chicken of this class were, both in 
plumage and character, far superior to those generally ex¬ 
hibited ; both the prizes in this class, it will be seen, were 
secured by birds, the stock of E. Simons, Esq.., ot Bir¬ 
mingham, whose repute in this variety is notorious. In 
Grey Dorldng$, where all were so excellent, it would be 
almost unjust to particularise, they have rarely been equalled. 
Edward Gwynn, Esq., taking both prizes in birds of this 
