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Toua las autras axemplairaa originaux sont fiimts an commen9ant par la premiere page qui comporte una empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration at en terminant par la dernidre page qui comporte une telle empreinte. Un des symboles suivants apparaltra sur la darniire image da cheque microfiche, selon le cas: la symbole — ^ signifia "A SUIVRE". le symbola V signifia "FIN". Las cartas, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent Atre filmte A dea taux do reduction difftrants. Lorsquo le document est trop grand pour Atre reproduit en un seul clichA, il est filmA A partir de Tangle supArieur gauche, de gauche A droite, et de haut en baa, en prenant la nombre d'images nAcessaire. Las diagrammes suivants illustrant la mAthode. - 2 3 5 6 Mioocorv nsoiuTioN tbt chart (ANSI ond ISO TEST CHART No 2) ^ ^^PPyiDjVHGElnc f^^l '65 J Eost Mam Slfe*l :^S ("6) »e2-0300-Phon, ^SS ("6) 288 - 5989 -Fa. PAMPHLET No. 10. DOMINION OF CANADA. CENTRAL EXPERIMENTAL FA'^M. J. H. ORISDALB, B.Agr., Director. W. T. MACOUN. Dominion Horticulturiit TOMATO CULTURE. By W. T. Macoun, Dominion Horticulturist. The chief aim in growing tomatoes fur the general market or for home use is to have early fruit. The profits from early tomatoes are much greater than from later ones. This being the case, it is desirable to have the plants -well cdvanced when they are set out in the open. To have them well advanced it is necessary to start them early. In south-western Ontario seed is sown in green- houses during the month of February. In colder districts the time extends to April, but it is sown in most places during the month of March. From nine to ten weeks should be allowed from the time of sowing until planting out, the plants not being set out until danger of frost is past. When the seed is started very early in greenhouses and transplanted several times, it is three months or more from time of sowing until time of planting out. Every grower of tomatoes should grow his own seed. By careful selection from individual plants from year to year, the variety may be much improved from the standpoint of earliness, uniformity and productiveness. If home-grown seed be not used it should be obtained from reliable seedsmen who are known to have good strains. The seed is sown in rich, loamy soil. If started in the greenhouse, it is usually sown in boxes or flats containing three to four inches of soil. There should be thorough drainage in the boxes, obtained by boring holes in the bottom. If seeds are planted in the dwelling house, boxes or pots also are used. When sown in a hot-bed the seeds are usually sown thickly, in rows about four inches apart. The seed is planted from one-quarter to one-half an inch deep and after covering with soil the latter is pressed down with the hand to firm it. The soil should be kept moist, but not wet. As soon as the rough leaves appear, the little plants are pinched out about two inches apart each way into other flats or hot-beds. When grown for very early fruit they are again transplanted, when they have filled the space between them, to about four inches apart each way. A final transplanting is made to about six inches apart each way in hot-beds or cold frames, or they are planted in four to six inch pots and given plenty of room to develop. When grown in the hot-bed they should be transplanted at least twice. Strawberry boxes have been found very satisfactory to put the plants in at the final transplanting. What should be kept in mind and aimed a^ is the pro- duction of a stocky, sturdy plant which will have some fruit set upo . when it is planted in the field. A larger crop of early fruit can be obtained pinching off the top of the plant after it has about six good leaves, which w.il result in laterals developing at the axils of the six leaves which are left on. These axillary shoots will each bear flowers if the plants be given sufiBcient room, and, if far enough advanced when set out, it may be readily seen that the crop of early fruit will be much larger than from the terminal shoot. To obtain the first ripe fruits as early as on the unpruned plants, the seed should be sown about three weeks earlier. The plants should eventually be between seven and eight inches apart 79123 in the hot-bed to give the axillary Mhoots a ruoiI upportuity to clevolop. Pianti Rhould be hardened off well by RivinK Rood ventilation and removinK kIuds in hot-bedn in daytime before netting out, aH they will ntand cool air much lictter after planting. In growing plants for the canning factory and in growing the medium and lato sorts, much letw trouble is taken. The seed in sown during the month of March and the young plants are transplanted once or twice. At the (inul trans- planting they are alniut five inches apart in the hot-bed or cold frame. Soil and Planting. — Tomatoes do best in a warm soil, either a good sandv loam or a light clay loam being suitable. It should be moderately rich in avail- able plant food. Boil rich in nitrogen induces too much vegetative growth, but while the fruit is earlier nn the ptwr, light soils there is not so much of it, hence one moderately rich in nitrogen with an adequate supply of phosphoric acid and potash is best. A soil which has been manured for a previous crop is usually in good condition for tomatoes, ond they do well after clover as a rule. Each grower must learn for himself what his soil needs most. The ground should be thoroughly prepared for tomatoes, as for all other vegetables. As the tomato is a tender plant it is not set out until danger of frost is over, the time ranging frcm the middle of May in the warmer sections to the first week of June whero frost ?omes later. Tomatoes should be planted four or five feet apart each way for fielil culture, but in the garden, whsre they may be trained if necessary, three feet each way is sufHcient for the early varieties and those that are staked, or four by two and one- hivlf feet for greater ease in getting among the plants. Care should be taken in planting not to disturb the soil about the roots of the plants while taking them from the hot-bed. The great advantage of having plants in pots or individual boxes is now very apparent, as those in this condition are not checked in their growth to any extent when planted out, and to obtain early fruit it is necessaryto have as little checking of the growth as possible. If the plants become drawn up and lanky before they are set out they should be planted deeper in the ground than they would otherwise be. Re As will soon be thrown out from tlie buried stem. By planting tall plants deep in this way they will not be so eaily broken by wind as they otherwise would be. Moreover, should there be a frost after planting, killing the plants to the ground, by removing two or three inches of the surface soil new shoots will soon be thrown out, the plants may be saved, and will soon grow rapidly again. This is a good plan in any case in the North where severe spring frosts are liable to occur. It is desirable to mound up the soil about the plants to support them and protect from frosts. As cut-worms are often troublesome about the time the plants are set out, poisoned bran in the proportion of }4 lb. Paris green thoroughly mixed with 50 lbs. moistened and sweetened bran, should be at once scattered on the surface soil about the plants. The cut-worms will eat this and die. After planting, the chief work is cultivation, which should be done both ways in the plantation. Some hoeing will also be necessary. The surface soil should be kept loose from the day the plants are set out until they meet one another. No training of the plants is practised in field culture as a rule, but if the weather should be wet and the soil found to be too rich, causing rank growth, it will check the growth somewhat if the plants are turned over. Usually, however, this is not necessary nor desirable. It is a good plan to mould up the soil to- wards the plants a little with the cultivator and hoe as this gives them some support. In the home garden a very good way of growing tomatoes is to train them to stakes. By this method only one stalk is allowed to grow, the lateral shoots being pinched out as they appear, but leaving the flower clusters and all leaves on the main stem, the terminal shoot being tied to the stake as it grows. Stakes 5 feet long and about IJ^ inches in diameter are needed. Wires may be used Tomato<»8 grown hv this method are the Rrouitd. for BupportH IwU'iul of Htake* if desired. very clean nnd more nttriu^tivt'-lookinR than tViow nTi"wn on .... „.„„ In pnrtu of Cana(hi whi-re the niffhtN arc cool in Bummrr, m on the prairies anil m 8ome partH of Hritish Columbia, it has l)een foun 1 that timiatoeK will ripen ttooner when staked than when the plant is left on the urouml ami they are BometinieH .staked when grown eommercially. If fnwt eomes before many tomatoeH are lijie, those which are only beginning to colour should lie gathered before l)emg injured, ami they will ripen up in the hoUMc, or the vines may be carefully pulled with the tomatoes on and hung up. The tomato is not affected by many insect p^-sts or fungous diseases. If tomato plants are sprayed with Bordeaux mixture, beginning in the hot-bed and keeping the plants covered until the fruit is nearly ripe. sev«-ral di.seuses can l)e controlletl, and the flea beetle, which is sometim'es f|uite troublesome, is i)ro- vented from doing much injury. The best varieties of tomatoes change from time to time. At present, the Earlinnn, of which there are several strains varying somewhat in eurliness and smoothness, is the best early, but IJonny Best and Chalk's Karly Jewel are also very good early sorts, the latter being a good main crop variety also. t)f later varieties, Matchless and Trophy are two good scarlet sorts, and Livingston's Globe and Plentiful two of the best purplish-pink varieties. Tomato Culture umkr (Jlans.— It is being found quite profitable in Canada to grow tomatoes under glass. Moreover, persons havmg small greon-hou.ses nnd who are fond of tomatoes can readily grow a few plants and have enough fruit for home u.se in this way when there is none outside. The best and mo.st pn.fitai>le time to have ripe tomatoes in the greenhouse ia during the months of November and December, and the months of April, May nnd June. By sowing the seen in good time in the summer the main part of the" crop will be set before the days i)ecoine very short anruturo ithiiulfi not run aUive ti5° F., nor Iwluw ttO° F. (luring the fruiting iwHiton. T.)intttencheH they xhoulil have unmie mill ho that there itt no danger of the rootH iHteoming dry, and there ithiiuld aluo Im; good drainage. (Jimd drainage iit aiNo very nerexsary when the plaiitt are in Imdii on the ground. There MJioidd ho from Hix to eight inches of good, rich loamy noil, such wiil aM they wuulil ilo well in outKisen- ed from time to time. Provision must be made for staking the pliu 's A horizontal wire is necessary six or seven feet above each row of plant,-*, and there are several methods by which the plants are trained up to it. The most m-r- manent method is ty have a piece of stitT, No. 10, wire for each plant. Tins is stuck into the .s»)il beside each plant and fasteneil to the horizontal wire above, then as the plant grows it is tietl to the wire with raffic. Another plan is to have a lath serve the purpose of the wire; and ^;iother is to have a low, horizontal wire as well as the one above and use heavy cord or bimler twine to supjwrt the plant, tying the plant to the cord w ith raffia. All side shoots are pinched out as they appear, the plant being trained to one stem. When they liave grown to the upper wire the tips arc pinched off and kept off. When the plants bloom, it is important to have the air of the greenhouse as d'y as iM»ssible so that the |)ollen will lie readily distributed, and good ventilation is "desirable to keep the air dry. On dark days, particularly, the Kreenhousc is likely to be too damp unless well ventilated. Usually a good setting of fruit can be obtained of the autumn or early winter crop by tapping or slightly shaking the plants daily about midday, thus causing the pollen to be scattered and make it more certain of reacliing all parts of the stigma, ensuring both a better setting and more perfect fruit, as, if only part of the stigma receives pollen, the fruit will be one-sided or irregular. For the crop which blooms in winter, artificial pollination is desirable, the pollen being dusted from one flower to another. A camel 'a hair brush to dust on the pollen which has bpcn previou.sly collected on a watch glass, or on a rabbit's tail tied to a stick, with which the flowers are brushed, fre goocl instruments for this purpose. A fair yield per plant under glass in Canada is 3 to 5 lbs., although the yield may be considerably lower if the fruit sets badly, or it may be somewhat higher. Tomatoes grown in twelve inch pots in the greenhouse nive good resu' ". The .soil and drainage should, however, be good. Grown in this way the . ts can be moved before the crop is quite over, making the space available for something else. The variety most generally grown under glass is Livingston's Globe, which is purplish-pink in colour, smooth and very solid, making it a good shipper. It does not ripen as soon as some others, but it is one of the best yielders in the long run. Three scarlet varieties which have given good results at the Central Farm are Bonny Best, Industry and Sutton's Satisfaction, smooth sorts with firm flesh and good quality. There are several d.. .ases which affect the tomato when grown under glass, and as they arc diflicult to control, it is desirable, by good ventilation and proper attention to temperature, to avoid having them. As the white fly is sometimes very troublesome in greenhouses, it is necessary to control it, when present, if one is to have good success in growing tomatoes niiil ht-re im iiuthinK fo HjitiMfnctory m byurp(i>i>. Tliw iitm IN, howt'VtT, u ilwully puisuti uiul grt'iit liiken in iiHiiiR it. FolliiwitiR iit II forniula fifuiid tu !><> cfTL>ctivc> in k IIIiir tlic liit-H withmit injury tii'^«' an nearly uirliKiit us |MiHHibli- and Imvi' the folia»,.' "I.y. Wrap the cyanide of PDtaMitiuni in thin tiHnuc pu|N>r and, us it in a deadly poison, avoid handlinK it. our the water into a wide-niouthed crockery or Mirllanwure vessel, then add tl.c sidphuric acid. Then Mtnrt walkiiiK quickly from one end of the ureeidumw towards the other ami, if several vessels are used, which is desiralile if the greenhouse Iw a long one, drop a paper of cyanide, without unwrappinjt, when piutsinn, into each vessel i untaininR the right proportion of water and sulphuric acid; and then go on out through the (h)or ut the other end, liohling the breath and closing the dcntr, and on no account lingering in the grjenhouse as there would be fatal results by doing so, since the poisonous gas rises anil spreads rapidly. It is best to fumigate in the evening and keep the house closed until morning, when open diK>rs anil ventilators from the outside. In orih-r tu make it still safer, the cyanide of |K)tassiuin n»ay be suspended by a string above the vessel containing the sulphuric acid and water and lowereil into it fnjni ouiside the greenhouse. To ensure a good distributiim of the gas, the vessels shoultl be pluoed ut about thirty feet apart and the necessary proportions of the nuiterials used estimated from the fornmla and the area of the greenhouse.