January  21,  1897. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
49 
RAISING  EARLY  TOMATO  PLANTS, 
Where  convenience  exists  for  raising  plants  from  seed,  and 
injuring  their  progress  in  a  satisfactory  condition,  the  present  is  a 
suitable  time  to  sow.  The  chief  essentials  in  producing  the  plants 
are  heat,  moisture,  and  light.  The  two  first  are  necessary  for 
germination.  When  that  has  taken  place  light  becomes  also  of 
paramount  importance,  in  order  to  modify  growth  accelerated  by 
the  heat  and  moisture.  Light  is  a  main  factor,  too,  in  producing 
sturdy  plants  which  will  ultimately  be  fruitful.  A  judicious 
amount  of  air  at  all  stage*  is  beneficial.  It  must  be  afforded,  how- 
compactly,  and  level  to  within  half  an  inch  of  the  rim.  Smooth 
the  lurface  with  the  flat  bottom  of  a  small  flower  pot.  Sow  the 
seeds  about  an  inch  apart.  It  is  quite  unnecessary  to  sow  closer, 
because,  as  a  rule,  every  seed  will  germinate.  Sowing  thickly 
causes  the  seedlings  to  become  weakened.  The  cotyledons  or  seed 
leaves,  and  the  earliest  of  those  following,  require  abundance  of 
light.  If  the  green  surfaces  thus  developed  cannot  receive  the 
light  directly  they  strive  to  present  themselves  to  as  much  as 
possible  by  growing  towards  it.  This  accounts  for  the  weakening 
effect  of  being  crowded.  Therefore  in  raising  plants,  especially  for 
early  crops,  avoid  the  seedlings  touching  each  other  from  the  first. 
Fig.  15.— BEGONIA  GLOIRE  DE  LORRAINE. 
ever,  in  the  early  stages,  so  as  not  to  prove  harmful  to  the  then 
tender  tissues  of  the  plants. 
At  this  early  period  of  the  year  a  constant  temperature  of  60°  to 
65°  is  demanded  by  Tomatoes  for  promoting  a  free  and  steady  growth. 
The  seed  will  germinate  best  in  a  bottom  heat  slightly  higher. 
Varieties  of  some  approved  early  types  ought  to  be  selected  for 
early  crops.  Suttan’s  Earliest  of  All,  the  American  variety,  Early 
Ruby,  and  the  useful,  prolific  Ifield  Gem,  are  good  well  tried  Tomatoes 
which  invariably  succeed  with  me.  For  sowing  the  seed  prepare 
some  light  sandy  material,  consisting  of  loam,  leaf  soil  and  sand  in 
equal  parts.  Mix  well  together,  moistening  if  dry,  so  that  the 
compost  is  in  a  friable  condition.  Warm  the  whole  material  to 
render  it  of  a  suitable  temperature  to  sow  the  seed  in.  If.  how¬ 
ever,  the  soil  is  suspected  of  being  but  slightly  infested  with  insects, 
grubs  or  worms,  it  will  be  desirable  to  heat  it  more  highly  in  order 
to  destroy  them.  The  process  of  doing  this  may  dry  the  soil  too 
much,  but  by  sprinkling  over  with  water  and  mixing  well,  its 
former  moist  condition  will  be  secured. 
Drain  a  few  clean  5-inch  pots.  Fill  with  the  soil,  shaking  down 
The  sturdier  they  are  kept  the  sooner  they  can  be  transplanted  to 
other  pots  for  strengthening. 
In  according  the  seedlings  a  light  position  a  temperature  must 
be  provided  for  insuring  sufficient  warmth  of  the  soil.  This  is  a 
matter  of  importance  during  the  early  part  of  the  season  to  bring 
the  plants  along.  The  sun  has  not  much  power  to  naturally  raise 
the  temperature  inside  glass  structures,  except  for  very  brief 
periods,  totally  inadequate  for  the  progress  of  the  plants.  Arti¬ 
ficial  heat  must  be  relied  upon.  If  a  warm,  dry  *helf,  moderately 
close  to  the  glass,  in  a  suitable  temperature,  affords  the  correct 
conditions,  no  better  place  can  be  found.  It  is  better  that  the 
plants,  however,  should  be  some  distance  from  the  glass,  if  the 
position  is  light,  rather  than  run  the  risk  of  their  suffering  from 
deficient  heat. 
After  transplanting  the  seedlings  improve  considerably.  For 
the  first  shift  from  the  seed  pots,  the  plants  seem  to  do  best  when 
placed  round  the  edges  not  less  than  2  inches  apart.  Sink  them 
low  down  in  the  pots,  so  that  the  seed  leaves  touch  the  soil  when 
enough  is  filled  in.  The  compost  may  be  similar  to  what  is  used 
