Tomato.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 247, 17 October 1891, Page 3 (Supplement)

Tomato.

Jhb tomato, when well managed, is one Of the heaviest-cropping planbs which we possess, andnot only does ib produce heavy crops, bub bhe period during which ib continues to fruit is a long one. The middle s f October and bhe beginning of November is the besb time to plant out the young plants. I have always found that they succeed best in moderately stiff loamy soil which ha 3 been pretty heavily manured, gome growers prefer to planb in comparatively poor coils and feed wibh liquid manure, bub this, in my estimation, only gives trouble in always mixing and applying the liquid manure. Now, when the Boil is made rich ab firsb, the only trouble afterwards is supplying clean waber and such will dissolve food as the planb requires ib. The piece of ground on which the tomato crop is to bo grown should be trenched at least two spits deep, as deeplywroughb soil will allow bhe roobs to penetrate to a greater depth, and thus a lob of trouble in watering will be avoided. The plants should be put oub in rows about five feet apart, and aboub five feeb from planb to planb, in rows. Afber tho planbs begin bo grow they should be pinched back, so that they may break oub wibh bhree, four or more shoots, as the grower may require. After tbe plants have become well established a row of stakes should be driven inbo bhe ' ground behind the planbs ; bhese sbakes ■ should be prebby sbrong, as bhey will ha%'e a good deal of weighb bo carry when the planbs are in full fruit. Four or five wooden babtens should then be strongly tied to the stakes, so as to make an espalier about four to five feet in height. The plants as they grow should be trained upon this. The shoots will require to be frequently pinched, so as to keep under superabundant growth—in fact, only allowing such to grow as is required for the production of fruit, and where these have fairly ghown pinch back the shoot to at least one or bwo eyes beyond where bhe bunch of flowers are growing. As bhe season advances andif dry, continual waterings will be required to keep bhe plants in full growth, and where the soil is of a poor, hungry nature, liquid manure should be freely used. On soils thab have been liberally dealb wibh, clean waber only will be necessary. When watering see that it is done thoroughly ; the soil bo bhe lull depbh of bhe roobs should be moisbened, nob saturated. One thorough watering a week is better than a little driblet of water daily, as small quantities of waber is sure to only draw the roots to the Surface, where they will only geb scorched with the rays of the sun, thus doing moro harm than'good. Another good plan to keep the labour of watering under is to mulch the plant wibh any long litter Buch as stable manure, straw, or long grass, etc. This mulching keeps the sun's rays from penetrating so deeply into the ground, consequently less evaporation. The tomato fruit is one which ripens best in the full glare of the sun, and it is sometimes necessary, after the fruib is nearly fully developed, to strip oft the old foliage bo that tho sun's rays will have freer access to it. As the autumn advances this will be all the more necessary, as the sun's rays are then losing force. Green fruit can aboub this time be picked off the plants and placed where tho sun's rays will get play, and fruib thus dealt wibh will ripen as well ias those which are lefb on the plant. During the summer months the tomato plants are much troubled with caterpillars, and much good fruib is lost through this cause. Tho eggs of the caterpillar aro laid on the plant, and as they develop the little insect makes a passage through the fruit, soon, spoiling it. The besb remedy I have found to stay tha ravages of this troublesome pest is to use a weak solution of Little's Sheep Dip. This, if used in the proportion of one tablespoonful to two gallons of water, will answer the purpose pretty well, and during the season should be used almost weekly, giving the plants a thorough syringing, so that every particle may receive a portion. Again, where this mixture is in continual use, ib would be as well to thoroughly wash the fruib before ib is used for cooking, or ordinary table use.