642 
June 6, 1896 . 
THE GARDENING WOR 
TOMATOS FOR MARKET. 
In view of the increasing demand there has been for 
Tomatos within the last few years, special attention 
has been given to their cultivation by growers for 
market. Notwithstanding the immense quantities of 
foreign fruit sent to this country, and retailed at 
abnormally low prices—most of it in an unripe 
condition, and therefore unfit for consumption—well 
grown English Tomatos can “ hold their own "amid 
such competition, and a fair price for them is 
generally obtained. 
To meet the requirements of the public, Tomatos 
are now brought into our markets early in the year, 
more especially in May, at which time they command 
a good figure, but gradually become cheaper as the 
season advances. It is scarcely necessary to remark 
that anyone once having acquired the taste for good 
English fruit, is hardly likely to fall back upon 
foreign produce, as, however, nice it may be in 
appearance, it is not to be compared with home¬ 
grown fruits in point of flavour. The fact that so 
much foreign fruit is sold, proves conclusively, that 
the aversion many people had to Tomatos as an 
article of food, is gradually wearing away, and where 
only a few used to cultivate them, hundreds do so 
to-day. Indeed, as we have said, the demand 
increases every year, hence it is that each season 
some “new and improved” sort is sent out 
promising, according to catalogue description, to 
eclipse all its predecessors. 
We propose in the space at our disposal, to 
endeavour to deal with Tomatos for market. First, 
with regard to their quarters, experience teaches us 
that low, span-roofed houses, which have the advan¬ 
tage of every gleam of sunshine possible, are the very 
best positions to which the plants can be assigned, 
having, of course, the necessary means for heating. 
As to the manner in which they should be grown, 
there is a diversity of opinion ; some prefer potting 
them singly in 8-in pots, whilst others incline to the 
bed system, after the manner of Cucumber growing. 
We have tried both, and whilst admitting that the 
former practice has its advantages, we have come to 
the conclusion that where—as in the present case- 
quantity is the desideratum , the bedding plan gives 
the largest yield of fruit, and at the same time the 
labour of watering is reduced very considerably. 
Where, however, Tomatos are grown with other 
subjects for home consumption only, and quantity of 
fruit and cost of pots are not taken into consideration, then 
we recommend culture in pots, as however profitable 
the bedding plan may prove, it is not always 
desirable or convenient to convert one’s greenhouse 
staging into a Tomato bed. But looking at the 
matter from a financial standpoint, our experience 
warrants us in stating that the latter system is by 
far the best. 
In planting under either condition, we find good 
turf soil which has been stacked for a short time and 
still contains plenty of fibre to be the best compost; 
and only sufficient should be used to cover the roots, 
or enough for the plants' present requirements, adding 
more as the roots appear above the surface, seeking 
for fresh nutriment. 
We have seen plants potted ofi, the 8-in. pots 
beiDg filled at the first outset, no room being left for 
any subsequent feeding; and as a consequence they 
have become surfeited and made no vigorous 
growth, whilst they only gave a meagre crop of 
fruit. 
As is well known, Tomatos are gross feeders, and 
after the fruit has set, require stimulants if they are 
to continue bearing heavy crops. It is after the first 
bunch of fruit has set, when having used up the 
compost first supplied, that feeding should 
commence; at the same time a little more soil should 
be added if required. Applied in a liquid form, 
sheep droppings will be found very beneficial; fail¬ 
ing these, cow manure should be used. Clay's 
Fertiliser will also be found an admirable stimulant 
for plants in bearing. As the season advances, and 
foliage increases, one is tempted for the sake of 
letting in light and sun to the fruit, to use the knife 
somewhat freely amongst the leaves, thinking to 
ripen the fruit early. Whilst the rubbing off of side 
shoots is recommended, one should be careful as to 
cutting away foliage ; as to do so to any great extent, 
especially at a time of bearing, must, of necessity, 
result in checking growth. Rather than adopt this 
plan, it is much better to tie in those leaves which 
impede light and sun, than bleed the plants by the 
use of the knife. There is also a difference of 
opinion as to the system of training to be followed ; 
we confine each plant to a single stem, rubbing off 
all side shoots, and thus concentrating the energy of 
the plant on the best bunches which are undoubtedly 
produced from the main stem. 
As to variety, here again a considerable diversity 
of opinion is shared as to the sorts to be grown to 
give the best possible result. In this particular, 
each one will have to a large extent to be guided by 
his own experience and neighbourhood. 
In some localities, almost any variety finds a sale, 
in others, only smooth, medium-sized fruit is desired. 
As a general rule, large corrugated varieties do not 
find so ready a market as medium-sized smooth 
sorts; and yellow varieties have not as yet taken 
sufficient hold on the public to command much 
attention, although they are being grown more now 
than formerly. 
For an early variety Sutton’s Earliest of All, in our 
opinion, stands first, a large proportion of the fruit 
being smooth; although grown out of doors it is 
somewhat corrugated. Maincrop, another of Sutton’s 
productions, yields a heavy crop and is a sort largely 
cultivated for market. Conference finds favour with 
many growers, as does also Perfection, the latter 
producing even sized fruits. Ham Green Favourite 
can generally be relied upon as a heavy cropper, 
whilst Hathaway’s Excelsior, an old tried sort, does 
well outside under a south wall in a favourable 
summer. The old Large Red still ranks as a profit¬ 
able sort, and as a corrugated variety for general 
market work takes a deal of beating. 
Tomatos for market should be grown quickly; 
and the most successful cultivators of them are those 
who make a beginning early in the year, giving the 
plants the advantage of as much heat as possible in 
their first stages, and bearing in mind though heat is 
desirable, air is absolutely necessary to their well¬ 
being. They take care that growth is not checked 
at any period, and assist them when required by top- 
dressings, and warm supplies of liquid manure when 
in bearing, which will materially help the young 
fruit to develop.— W. F. 
--*>- 
FRUIT AND VEGETABLE DRYING. 
(Concluded from p. 580 .) 
It must not be supposed, from the description given 
of the method of drying Apples, that precisely the 
same plan will be equally successful with all other 
fruits, for it certainly will not. And here will, 
perhaps, be the proper place to draw your attention 
to a point of much importance to everyone entering 
on the work of evaporating, namely, that it is not a 
rule-of-thumb business, but a pursuit requiring skill, 
knowledge, and experience. Nothing could do more 
injury to the best intended efforts to extend the 
practice of evaporating in this country, than to let 
anyone enter on the business with an idea that it can 
be carried on to a successful issue without skill, 
knowledge, and experience. It cannot. Without 
tnese indispensable qualifications the result must be 
certain failure, with the further result of bringing 
discredit on a valuable process and the apparatus in 
which it is carried on. The difference between 
dried fruit which has been so skilfully operated on 
as to bring into exercise the utmost powers of the 
evaporator and to develop the best qualities of the 
fruit, and fruit evaporated by an incompetent or 
careless operator, will be found as great as that 
between sterling silver and worthless dross. On the 
other hand, let me say that the way to perform the 
operations of evaporating perfectly may be readily 
learned by any person of intelligence who will take 
pains and be willing to learn from those who can 
teach. 
To illustrate the remark I made a few minutes 
ago, that the method for drying Apples will not serve 
for all other fruits, I will describe how to treat 
strawberries, which is one of the most difficult fruits 
the evaporator has to deal with. I am indebted to 
Captain J. Addison Smith, of California and London, 
a gentleman of great experience in fruit evaporation, 
for the following method :—" Strawberries are rather 
difficult to treat, but when properly done are not 
only a very delicious product but a very handsome 
one. They have to be, what may be termed, semi- 
conserved and crystallised. The berries must be 
gathered when coloured, but still quite firm, and 
placed in a broad flat-bottomed vessel. As they are 
liable to mash and bleed, be careful not to put too 
many in one vessel. Make a syrup of 2 lbs. of white 
LD. 
granulated sugar to i lb. of water, which boil until 
the sugar is thoroughly dissolved. While the syrup 
is boiling hot pour it carefully over the berries and 
keep covered until perfectly cool. Then take them 
out with a flat perforated ladle, thoroughly drain 
them and turn on to a fine wire screen ; place in the 
evaporator and dry with a moderate heat. In some 
cases where the berries contain much water, the 
scalding process should be repeated. This is an 
operation which requires skill, but when well done, 
a most delicious conserve is produced." I give this 
recipe only to emphasise the fact that different fruit 
and different vegetables require varied treatment ; 
but I will not weary you with more information of 
this kind, as my purpose to-night is not to describe 
the art of manipulating the evaporator in detail, but 
to draw attention to its useful powers in a general 
way only. 
For the information of those who may wish to 
read the available literature on the subject, I may 
mention that several articles on fruit evaporation 
have appeared in the Journal of the Royal Agricultural 
Society. In the part for October, 1888, there is a very 
interesting paper by Mr. D. Pidgeon, a gentleman 
officially connected with the society, and another in 
the number for March, 1890. In the Journal of the 
Board of Agriculture for December, 1895, the subject 
is dealt with at some length. From Mr. Pidgeon’s 
first paper I quote the following particulars — 
" A bushel of green Apples, weighing about 5olb., 
can be dried at a cost of from 6d. to yjd, The total 
cost of the dried product is from 3d. to 5d. per lb. 
and the average selling price from 3^d. to 6d. per lb. 
One bushel of green Apples produces about 6 lbs., 
of dried Apples. One pound of coal is consumed in 
evaporating enough green fruit to yield one pound of 
dried fruit. . . . The cores and parings are dried and 
sold for jelly-making, realising about £4 per ton. A 
bushel of Apples yields 30 lbs. of ‘ meat,’ and 20 lbs. 
of refuse (cores, &c.). The 30 lbs. of ’meat’ is 
reduced to 6 lbs. by evaporation, and the 20 lbs. of 
refuse to 4 lbs." 
In America the total value of evaporated fruit 
produced and sold annually must amount to a very 
large sum of money, but I have been unable to get 
any reliable estimate as to how much it is. Mr. 
Pidgeon furnishes the following figures for California 
alone :—Total weight of all kinds of fruit evaporated 
in that state during 1888, 31,450,000 lbs. ; the value 
of same being £431,590; but the quantity now is 
much larger. 
The western portion of New York State, in a 
district lying within a radius of forty miles around 
the city of Rochester, produced in 1888, 37,750,000 
lbs. of evaporated fruit (all but 750,000 lbs. of which 
were apples) of the value of £297,000. Mr. Pidgeon 
states that to produce this amount 250,000,000 lbs. 
(no,000 tons) of green Apples and 250,000 quarts of 
fresh raspberries were operated upon ; 19,000 tons of 
coal were burnt in 1,500 drying-houses (each con. 
taining one or more evaporators of various sizes), 
and 45,000 hands were employed during four months 
of the year, bringing about the result quoted above. 
The use of the evaporator since 1888 has greatly 
extended, and it must be remembered that the 
figures about the produce in and around Rochester 
eight years ago do not represent the amount of 
business now done. In the Journal of the Board of 
Agriculture for December, 1895, at p. 295, a Table 
is given of " Imports of Fruit ; unenumerated ; pre¬ 
served without sugar," and the quantity received in 
this country in 1894 from the United States is stated 
to be 6,255,046. lbs., and its value £75,843. The 
writer of the article in which this table is given 
intimates that the increase as compared with the 
year 1885 (the imports of which are also given), " is 
due to the extension particularly in California of the 
practice of evaporating or desiccating apples, plums, 
peaches, nectarines, and apricots, by means of solar 
or artificial heat. 
The use of evaporated fruits in this country— 
whether of foreign or home production—will very 
probably be greatly increased when the best modes 
of utilising them are more generally understood, 
for they require practically no tedious preparation, 
are always ready for use when wanted, and are 
economical, for the prices are low and there is 
absolutely no waste ; and, as all who have tried 
evaporated fruits of a good brand will testify, they 
are quite as pleasant to the palate as fresh fruit. But 
however good they may be intrinsically, the cook 
must understand what to do with them, and do it, or 
