ULTUR! LWloQulclenFRHS' !ICE ONE SHILLING. ALBERT R. MANN LIBRARY New York State Colleges OF Agriculture and Home Economics Cornell University Cornell University Library The original of tliis book is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924003392283 ADVERTISEMENTS . WRIGHT'S MUSHROOMS for the MILLION. 6th Edition. 30th Thousand. All who wish to grow MushroomB successfully should read this work attentively. Upwards of a dozen methods of culture plainly described, and the profitable system of producing them on outdoor ridges fully illustrated. A MUSHKOOM BIDGE. Mushrooms and Tomatoes are the most profitable crops known, and the demand for them is ever increasing. The present edition of Mushrooms for the Million is larger and better than all others. Through Boolcsellers, Is. ; or Is. 2d. from the Publisher, 111, FLEET STREET, LONDON, E.G. " Ought to be in the hands of all who wish to master the mystery of Mushroom Growing." — Pall JkTall Gazei^. " An admirable treatise.'.'— ffar^eisi'a' Ciironicle. " Buy the booki"— Garilejvers' Kagasme, ADVERTISEMENTS. THE ROYAL Old-Established Nursery and Seed Business, CHESTER. SKI/ECT TOMATOES. Perpkt.-«. d. Dedham Favourite.— Perfectly distdnot, fruits of large size, globular, quite smooth and a rich ruby red. An excellent variety 10 Hackwood Park Prolific. — An excellent early and very prolific variety, producing handsome fruit of large size 1 Harefieid Grove Golden Gem (new).— Fruit of good size, fleshy and heavy, of a bright golden yellow colour, slightly corrugated and often eight to ten ounces m weight, an excellent cropper and continuous fruiter ... 10 Harefieid Grove Selected Red (jisro). — A very prolific large fruited strain of the old large red, a flrst-rate heavy market variety 1 Jackson's Favourite.— Fruit bright red, very large and handsome ; one of the best varieties in cultivation 1 Open Air. — This variety, on account of its earliness and hardiness, is well adapted for out-door culture ; it is dwarf in habit, and bears an abundance oflarge, handsome, bright-coloured fruit. First-class certificate R.H.S. 1 Tlie Mikado. — A large growing variety of American introduction, the fmit of which is said to weigh as much as a pound and a half each. Becom- mended by extensive growers of Tomatoes as the most profitable variety yet produced i. 1 Trentham Fillbasket.— A very free-bearing early variety. Fruit rich crimson, medium in size, aud of excelleut flavour ; 1 Six packets, our Selection, free by post for 6s. VEGETABLE AND FLOWER SEEDS. All Orders for Yegetahle and Flower Seeds, Seed Potatoes and Bulbs Carriage Paid io any BaUvoay Station in England and ^ales, Ireland, and Scotland, or when jn-aclicahle by Parcels Post. Vegetable Seeds. — All our Vegetable Seeds are grown with the utmost care from the most Select Stocks known of their respective kinds, and they are of very superior quality. Flower Seeds of every description, including the choicest strains of Primula Sinensis, Calceolaria, Cinei-aria, Auricula, Polyanthus, Carnation, Picotees. and all florist flowers. German Flower Seeds, including every variety of Stocks, Asters, Zinnia Ele^ans, and all the best half-hardy Annuals. Hardy Annuals of every description. Biennials and Perennials, etc., etc. DIOKSOBTS' IMPROVED MXTSHROOM SPAWW, Of the finest quality, 6s. per hushel o/14 Briclcs, We can specially recommend our Improved Mushroom spawn, the quality of which for many years has given such great satisfaction, the crop produced being very prolific, fleshy, and flue flavoured. It is superior to any other. GBlSrUINE MEDICATED TOBACCO PAPER. For Fumigating, per lb. Is. 6d. (Made up in 21b. packets). The only genuine and improved make, and procurable only from DlcTcsons {Limited), Supplied in any quantity from 21bs. upwards. Hampers, containing 28lbs. and 661be., delivered carriage free to any Eailway Station in England, Scotland, and Wales, and to any Seaport in Ireland. Parcels for trial, sent Free by Parcels Post, viz. :— 21b8. 3s. id., 41b3. 6s. 8d., 61bs. 9s. 9d., Slbs. 13s., lOlbs. 16s. Separate Circulars Post Free. Improved Fumigating Pan, in iron, with heater, 6s. 6d. eaoh ; or In copper, 21a. each. IS very Requisite for " The Estate," " The Forest," " The Farm," and " The Garden." Priced descriptive Catalogues Post free on application. Nurseries over 400 acres in extent. Inspection respectfully invited. DIOKSONS (Limited), Seed Growers and Nurserymen, CHESTER. By Special Warrants to H.M. The Queen and H.B.H. The Prince of Wales. Address for Letters, Telegrams, etc., DICKSONS, CHESTER. ADVERTISEMENTS. ESTABLISHED 1818. Tbs extensive ranges of Metallic Hot-houses In the Royal Gardens at Windsor and Ostiome were executed at this Establishment. HENRY HOPE, 55, LIOjMEL STF^EET, BII^MIN@]HAM. Ibotttcultural Builber AND HOT WATER ENGINEER. CONSERVATORIES AND HOT -HOUSES IN METALLIC OB WOODEN CONSTEUCTION. Plans and Estimates given for Conservatories, Peach Houses, Vineries, Orchid Houses, Plant Houses, Pits, Verandahs, etc., etc. HOT-WATER APPARATUS for Churches, Schools, Mansions, Villas, etc., and Horticultural Buildings. PLANS AND ESTIMATES ON APPLICATION. Testimonial from Mr. T. BROCKINGTON, TJis Gar- dens, ParhJieW-, Hallow, Worcester, for a range of Metallic Hot-houses and Hot-water Apparatus, heated by' my Flued Saddle Boiler as annexed Illustration. *• The houses are standing well, and the heating is simply grand, so very steady, scarcely varies a degree." from Mr. A. WARD, The Gardens, Stolce Edith Park, Hereford. ** I am most pleased to tell you what a great success the new boiler is. It maintains a gteady temperature in all the different houses, H-nd does not require any driving j and I also find that it is much more economical tban the Trentham Boiler was." New Priced Illustrated Catalogue of Greenhouses, Garden Frames, etc., will be sent post free on reference to this advertisement. ADVERTISEMENTS. THE "RED ROSE" HOT-WATER BOILER. Awarded Silver Medals at London, Liverpool, and Newcastle. Also Banksian Medal by Royal Horticultural Society. As will be seen by the following recent testimonials, these boilers, which have been extensively distributed both in the three kingdoms and abroad, still retain their unequalled reputation. Mr. W. TURNBJJLL, Fmit GronJsr, Caiel, Qvernsey, Feb. 19f7i, 1889, writes .— " The four boilers I got from your agent Mr. Boimott I have delayed writing about until I had given them a fair trial in cold weather against a boiler of the same guaran- teed power in the same boiler-house. Your boilers I find do not take half the time to stoke, and, without exaggeration, the other burns twice the quantity of coal and does not give the same steady heat as yours. Next season I will take another * Red Hose,' and do away with the one yours so far supersedes, and I feel sure you will have a far greater sale for them here," Mr. J. EDMONDS, Gardener to the Dulee of St. AlhanSf SesUvood Gardens, Notts., Feb. 18th, 1899, also wHtes : — '* Your boiler the * Red Hose * is giving me. entire satis- faction, both in heating power, consumption of fuel, simplicity in fixing, and easy work for the stoker. I shall be pleased to recommend it to my friends.'* Under date Feb. 22na, 1889, Mr. GEORGF RANBALL, Seedsman and Florist, SJcegness, of the " Red Rose" also reports :-^'*l am glad to tell you the boiler is doing its work splendidly. I have had to do with many kinds of boilers, but this is a master- piece." Mr. J. LYNAS, The Gardens, Moyallon House, Ireland, writes: — "After a most careful trial, I have no hesitation whatever in saying your boiler * Red Rose ' is tho most economical I have ever seen. This last week we have used nothing but cinders from the house, which the other boilers will not burn." No. 1 lA IB IC 2 REVISED LIST OF PRICES. Heating Power. ' l-inch Pipe. £ s. d. 400 ... 12 10 700 ... 15 10 950 .. 20 1,200 ... 22 10 1,500 ... 26 No. 2a 3 4 4a Heating Power. 4'-inch Pipe. 2,000 3,000 3,700 4,500 31 10 38 44 50 d. Sole Agent for the Channel Islands, Mr. C. M. EMMOTT, Belgrave House, Hogue-a-la-Perre, Guernsey. Sole Agents for Ireland, Messrs. A. DICKSON & SONS, Nurserymen, Newtownards. Or of the Patentee, JOSEPH WITHERSPOON & SONS, "Red Rose" Vineries, Chester-le-Street, Durham. Tenders given for lieating Churches, Chapels, and Horticultural Buildings. VI ADVEETISEMENTS, TOOPE'S Patent Hot-Water, Hot-Air Heating Appliances, FOE WAEMING GEEENHOUSES, CONSEEVATOEIES, GAEDEN FEAMES, Etc. C EC J^. 3MC 3E» I O M" . The best iu the market, com- bining safety with economy of fuel and labour. Easily put up, quick circulation, and ■will burn either gas or oil. WATER JACKET. From 25/-. Made of Copper or Iron, as desired. Can be made to fit any sort of house. No fumes. LITTLE VIXEN. From 25/-. Toope'B Patent Propagator is tbe most certain appliance ever inveutefl tor striking cuttings and raising seedlings. Toope's Patent Little Vixen is the only frame heater in the market. Toope's Patent Sclipse Heat Radiator is unrivalled for keeping out frost in small houses. ASBESTOS PROPAGATORS TO PLACE ON HOT-WATER PIPES. WATER JACKETS FOR POTS. CUT FLOWER HOLDERS. Stmiite Fumigators for exterminating green-fiy, the cheajiest, handiest, and most economical Famigator ever sold. ILLUSTRATED CATALOGUE FREE ONE STAMP. CHARLES TOOPE & CO. STEPNEY SQUARE, LONDOW, B. ADVERTISEMENTS. VU TOMATO. YORKSHIRE WONDER. We have personally tested this novelty since we received it from tlie raiser, and can confidently assert that we have never before seen its equal, either for productiveness or quality. The Vine bears at every joint a bunch of large, handsome, bright red, smooth, oval fruit, which are very solid, and of delicious flavour. STOCK VEEY LIMITED. In sealed Packets, 1/- each. Sold by all Seedsmen. Wholesale only of— HURST & SON, 152, HQUNDSDITOH. ORCHIDS FOR AMATEURS. Good, clean, healthy plants at low prices. LIST OJM APPLie;^TIOJ^. Stoue and Greenhouse Plants of all hinds. Choice Bouquets, Wreaths, etc, on shortest notice, securely packed and forwarded to any part of the kingdom. ^c J AMES^CYPHER,*^ Exotic JVurseries, 'OH:BaL.TEiTH:.A.id:. Vlll ADVERTISEMENTS. LAXTON'S "Open-Air" Tomato. ''|i|i||l!liili^L - Tried by the Royal Horticultural Society against 80 other varieties and proved to be THE EARLIEST TO RIPEN OUT-OF-DOORS. It is also the hardiest and best disease resister, sturdy, very prolific, and frnit of fine shape, size, colour, and quality. Seed should be ordered in T. Laxton's own sealed packets only, in order to obtain the latest selected and reliable stock. Catalogues of best novelties in Seeds, Potatoes, and Strawberries free from THOMAS LAXTON, Seed and Novelty Grower, BEDFORD. UPKIGHT TBAINED TOMATO : HEIGHT TEN FEET. [From Garden ITorfc,] THE TOMATO: Cultural Directions FOR MAINTAINING- A CONTINUOUS SUPPLY OF FEUIT, INOLCDINQ ALSO SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR AMATEURS, GROWERS OF FRUITS FOR MARKETS, AND EXHIBITORS, 21 Chapter on Diseases aria Insect Pests, anU tfjetr Preiienttan, AND A LIST OP SIXTY GOOD AND USEFUL EECIPES FOB THE GUIDANCE OF ^ COOKS. W. IG-GULDEN, F.E.H.S., Oardmer (o the Sight Hon. the Earl of Coi-I; *^ 8 "^^^i^^ M^^^sr^ imM CHAPTER IV. PIT AND FRAME CULTURE. ,UB,INGr the summer months many pits and frames not wanted for other purposes may well be devoted to Tomato culture, and this, to say the least, is putting them to a better use than the production of a miserable crop uneatable melons, or the growth of less wholesome cucumbers. Tomatoes will fre- quently succeed under glass without the aid of fire-heat, but the plants cannot be relied upon to produce good crops in a dull, sunless summer, — such, for instance, as that of 1888, — and for this reason the preference should be given to pits that can be heated whenever this is necessary. I am aware many gardeners have failed to grow Tomatoes satifactorily in pits and frames, but in very many instances I think this failure may be traced to one of three causes, or all combined. When planted in a bed of rich soil and manure, and per- haps allowed to strike root into this wherever the haulm touches the soil, the top-growth is of too gross a character to be fruitful, and this is one frequent cause of failure. Some err in not admitting sufficient air to induce the formation and favour the setting of numerous large clusters of fruit, while others admit abundance of air in all weathers, and with this the destructive potato disease. Avoid these blunders, and profitable crops should result. Others beside myself have succeeded in growing quite heavy crops in heated pits, our greatest success being in the comparatively unfavourable summer of 1888. 30 THE TOMATO. The start should be made as early as possible, or as soon as the pits and frames are cleared of forced potatoes, beans, or summer bedding-plants. Early in May would be a good time tb plant in heated pits, and towards the end of that month those unheated may also be planted. In any case strong plants should be selected or raised especially for the purpose, putting out weakly plants en- tailing the loss of valuable time. The system of planting and training ought to be varied according to the style of the pits or frames used. Some of the iines,t crops I have yet seen were in heated span-roofed pits, in which a flat staging was fixed about fifteen inches below the lowest squares of glass, or deep enoagh to hold various pot plants during the winter. One strong plant to each light was found sufficient, these being placed in 12-inch pots, and set on a small mound of loamy soil below the staging and conveniently near where the lights opened. The haulm was allowed to spread thinly over the staging,, and by the time good crops of fruit were set the roots had found their way into the soil beneath the pots. This additional food supply assisted the plants without encouraging rank growth. Hurdles, notably those plaited together, are well adapted for fixing across pits not far from the glass and clear of any manure and soil these may contain ; and it is these we use. When a trellising is thus formed, the plants can be arranged along the ends and at intervals across the pits without taking up much space. The roots ought to be either at first confined to pots, or else, if turned out of pots, have access to small ridges of loamy soil only. Supposing the pits are about six feet wide, room will be found for six plants at each station, or either two or three only may be grown, each of these being made to form two or three leading growths. Seeing that a quick crop is needed, the width of one light is ample running room for each plant or leading growth, the points being taken out where they meet each other. By that time three or four clusters of fruit should have been formed or forming, nothing but over-feeding and faulty ventilation preventing this. Unheated pits and frames may be simi- larly utilized, or the plants may be trained thinly over deep back walls, up stakes, arid even over boards laid on or fixe.d over a bed of soil and manure. In any case they PIT AND FRAME CULTURE. 31 must be given plenty of room and tlie roots be kept out of a rich supply of food. Ventilation and other Cultural Details.— It is advisable to forward the growth of the plants as much as possible, without, however, keeping them too close and hot. A little warmth in the pipes or even in the bed over which the plants are set will favour a good start, air being given in small quantities at first and freely when active growth commences. We never find thermometers necessary in pits and frames, but the inexperienced may wish for some kind of guide, and these are advised to keep the heat at first, if possible, soniewhere about 65° in the night-time, giving air when the heat rises to near 65°, and in quantity when necessary to keep- it near 75°. During the early part of the summer the air may be taken off at about 2 p.m., and according as the sun gains in power the closing must be delayed for an hour or two hours longer. "When finally closed the heat may well be run up to 90°, or rather higher, this being the means of insuring a good growing temperature for several hours, or while daylight lasts. No shading whatever should be given. In clear, bright weather a syringing may be given at closing time with advantage, but in dull, sunless, or showery weather this must be discontinued, or disease will be the almost siire consequence. In warm, sunny weather the lights may be drawn off during the hottest part of the day, the next best thing being to block up the lights in the centre. It is in dull, windy weather when the fungus spores are wafted about, and, to prevent these from effect- ing a lodgment on the foliage, do not block up the lights, a small amount of air only being admitted at the back by sliding down the lights. If the plants are not over-fed, and are also given plenty of air, a good set will result, and not till this takes place should any liquid manure be given — the only exceptions being when the plants present a somewhat starved appearance. They ought not to suffer for want of water at any time, and a mulching of manure or loam and manure may well be applied when the plants arrive at a free bearing state. No superfluous side shoots should be allowed to form, and it may even be necessary to cut away a portion of very large foliage — the latter pro- ceeding tending to check rank growth. The points of the 32 THE TOMATO, leading growths are very brittle, and tlie tying down must be carefully performed. Where possible fire-heat, should be given in cold, sunless weather, and if maintained constantly in the autumn will be a great assistance in perfecting late fruit. CHAPTER V. WINTER SUPPLIES. N many gardens no attempt is made to pro- duce a few dishes of Tomatoes for late autumn and winter use, but this is a mis- take, at any rate where a little house-room could he spared for the purpose. There is really a good demand for the fruit in No- vember,and more especially in December and January, while there are no great difficulties to surmount in growing the same. It is of the greatest importance that an early start be made — in other words, it is almost useless to commence raising plants at a time when they ought to be well estab- lished. The plants should be raised from either cut- tings or seed in June, and be well established in 6-inch pots, two plants in each, by the end of that month. If the weather is favourable — that is to say, if there are no disease germs in the air — the plants may be grown in the open ; otherwise they ought to have the benefit of a covering, such as a frame or pit. The subsequent treat- ment that I have found to answer remarkably well, but which may not meet all cases, consists of first shifting these pairs of plants into 13-inch pots, and directly a house is cleared of either melons or cucumbers the Toma- toes take their place. The pots are set on the beds of soil and old heating material recently occupied by the preceding crops, and into these the roots soon spread. This favours a moderately strong, yet very fruitful growth, and there is little or no necessity to give top-dressings or to apply much water or liquid manure. It is immaterial whether the plants be set along the fronts or nearer the middle of the house, as when the trellis is reached the 33 34 THE TOMATO. leading growtks can be trained either np or down the roof. The plants of some varieties having a rather rich root run are liable to grow rather strongly, and that too in spite of the check afforded by the pots, and for this reason it is advisable to give them good room at the outset, and to lay in sufiScient shoots to cover the trellis. If the roots have no access to rich soil outside of the pots, the latter should be set nearly closely together and each plant be kept disbudded to one main stem. Those who have no large pots at their disposal, or prefer to adopt the plan of planting out, should form narrow, shallow beds of loamy soil, and in these dispose the plants one foot apart. The earlier in August the plants are established in their fruiting quarters the better, the aim being to have heavy crops of fruit set before the dull, sunless days of November intervene. By that month all the leading growths ought to be well furnished with fruit in various sizes, hanging in clusters, and these will ripen in close succession through the winter. In all cases the leading growths should be trained fully twelve inches apart, and be kept closely denuded of side shoots as they form. It is possible to have as heavy crops set in the autumn for ripening during the winter as at any other season of the year, but not if high temperatures are maintained while the plants are flowering. At this period the night temperature ought not to exceed 55°, and in mild weather a chink of top air should be left on the house, while day temperatures may range from 5° to 10° higher, air being freely given on warm days. This, coupled with the dryness at the roots, causes the production of perfectly formed flowers, and which, being well charged with pollen, set freely. Artificial impregnation — this being effected with the aid of, a camel's-hair brush or a rabbit's tail — is also advisable, though not always absolutely necessary. Abundance of fruit being set, a higher temperature may be maintained, though the fruit will ripen surely, if more slowly, in the temperatures just given. Strong, healthy plants will early in January push out numerous side shoots, and these being duly thinned, those reserved and tied to the trellis will soon commence flowering, an eai-ly crop being the result. CHAPTER VI. OPEN-AIR CULTURE. ^HERE is no disputing the fact we labour under great disadvantages in growing Toma- toes out of doors in comparison with cultiva- tors in foreign countries, who are favoured with a more regular climate. In some parts of the United States of America and Canada, Tomatoes are planted with a certainty of pro- ducing heavy crops. There the summers are uniformly hot, if the winters are extremely cold ; hut with us the case is very different, our seasons being singularly variable and occasionally most unfavourable to the production of profitable crops of Tomatoes. To none is the old maxim, "Hope for the best, and prepare for the worst," more applicable and suggestive than to British cul- tivators, who must, by some means or other, secure a good supply of this popular " fruit vegetable." . Preparing for the worst in this case, according to my ideas, does not con- sist merely of the growing a quantity under glass, but should also include the adoption of a more intelligent practice with outside crops. That the latter are most precarious under any system of culture, there is no deny- ing ; yet it is only in such an exceptionally bad season as that of 1888 that a total failure results. "We cannot change our climate, but we can change our system, and our aim should be to have a quickly grown crop. This is not effected by putting out the plants any earlier, but rather by having them in a more forward and suitable condition 36 36 THE TOMATO. at planting time. More often than not the plants are reared early in March, drawn np in the seed pans, then potted off, usually in pairs, in 6-inch pots, grown in heat to a good size, then hardened off and allowed to take their chance with the hardier kinds of bedding plants till the end of May or early in June. The consequence of this treatment is the loss of the earliest hloom and much valuable time as well. Better by far prepare a smaller number of plants in a more rational manner. Properly prepared plants ought, when finally put out, to have one good cluster of fruit already set and others developing, the aim being to secure an early, if only a moderately heavy, crop while yet there is a prospect of this maturing, rather than a late and, may be, heavy one, with the greater risk of losing all, or nearly all, the fruit by disease. This is by no means a novel idea, quite the reverse being the case ; but as far as my experience goes, there are not many gardens where it is adopted. Eaising and Peepaeing the Plants. — Late in March or the first week in April is quite soon enough to sow the seed, the intention being to have the plants sturdy and strong by the end of May. The seedlings may be reared either in a frame over a gentle hot-bed or in any of the forcing houses. Before the seedlings become drawn, pot off as many as are required singly into either 4-inch or 5-inch pots, any light loamy soil, warmed prior to using it, being suitable. Give a gentle watering, and keep them rather close and shaded till somewhat recovered from the check, then set as near the glass as possible, avoid shading, and give air freely on all favourable occasions. They soon become sturdy and strong, and before they are much root-bound ought to be shifted into 8-inch pots, potting deeply and firmly, using rich rough loamy soil and but little drainage in the pots, unless there be but little fibre in the loam used. Each plant should have a light stake put to it, be returned to the frames or shelves, and kept rather close for about three days, when air should be given freely, or according as the weather permits. Dur- ing mild weather the lights may be drawn off in the day- time and closed again before the sun has lost its power, mats or other protection being thrown over them when the nights are cold. Towards the end of May, all. OPEN-AIE CULTURE. 37 whether in frames or on light greenhouse stages, may be given air during the nights, and this, coupled with full exposure to the sun, will be all the hardening off necessary. The plants ought never to be plunged or allowed to root out into rich soil, must be kept well supplied with water, and should have all side shoots removed as fast as they form. By the end of May most of them will have set their first bunches of fruit, others being also partially developed. At this stage of growth liquid manure may be given frequently with advantage. If it is not possible to adopt this system of preparing the plants, the seed- lings may be potted off in pairs in not less that 6-inch pots, and after they are well established be gradually hardened off, fairly sturdy plants being easily grown by the end of May. Planting and Training.— As before stated, the plants should be put out either late in May or early in June against sunny walls, and a week or ten days later in the open, this delay being necessary where they are liable to injury from late frosts. I prefer to put oS planting till the first week in June, as by that time the sun has gained much power and warmed the soil somewhat, which tends to give the plants a good start, or, rather, helps to maintain the good beginning already made. The sites usually preferred for them are the vacant spots at the foot of south or south-west walls or palings, the growths being either trained perpendicularly or obliquely, should head room be somewhat limited. Where the walls are too closely tenanted by fruit treeis, tempo- rary wooden screens, including covers or shutters used for covering vine borders, old doors, and even thatched hurdles, may be fixed in a sunny position, a disused vine- border being as good a site as could be chosen. It is advisable to fix these screens in a sloping direction and facing south. If several are erected, care must be taken that they do not shade those immediately behind them. In one instance where this plan has long been most successfully adopted, the screens are four feet high, six feet apart, and have coarse galvanized wire netting attached to them, the plants being tied to this, thereby avoiding the use of nails and shreds. A little fresh loamy soil ought to be given each plant, a rich compost causing 38 THE TOMATO. a rank growth at the outset. Those planted against walls, fences, or screens should he not less than twelve inches apart; all ought to be in a moist state at the roots when turned out of the pots, and have the soil well rammed about them. In favourable seasons Tomatoes succeed admirably when grown on sunny borders, clear of, but sheltered by, high walls, fences, and evergreen hedges. They ought to be put out singly, not less that two feet apart each way, and arranged triangularly ; a strong stake, from three feet to four feet in length, being placed to each. Im- mense crops are sometimes obtained from a few dozen, or, in the case of market growers, several hundred plants grown in this manner ; but, it should be added, it is the most precarious out-door crop that can be tried. Cultural Details. — Should there be a scarcity of plants, these may be put out farther apart than just recommended for the walls, and about three leading growths laid in from each, but as a rule those confined to a single stem yield the earliest and best supply of fruit ; all the single stems or leading growths to be kept carefully and closely supported, either by "shreds and nails, or ties, and not to be topped till about four clusters of fruit are set. From first to last no superfluous side shoots should be left on the stems, these both smother- ing and robbing the fruit of much sustenance. The plants ought never to be dry at the roots, and when well set with fruit, liquid manure may be given with advan- tage, also a liberal mulching of short manure. In a favourable season it is pc'ssible to have ripe fruit on those plants well prepared prior to planting as early as the first or second week in July, and nothing but disease or frosts will prevent them continuing to be serviceable to October. When weakly or much starved plants are put oiit, few or no ripe fruit will be fit to gather before the first or second week in August. At the end of September, or early in October, or according to the weather experienced, it is advisable to cut the nearly ripe fruit not required for immediate use, and hang these in a cool house or room, while those that are nearly fully grown, but quite green, may be cut with a portion of the main stem attached and hung up in a warm house or OPEN-AIE CULTURE. 39 kitchen to ripen. It will be found, on looking through the recipes given at the end of this treatise, there are various ways of utilizing both ripe and green fruit — the latter in some people's estimation being nearly as valu- able as ripe fruit. CHAPTER VII. ADVICE TO AMATEURS. T is among what are termed the middle classes tliat Tomatoes Lave gained the great- est popularity, and if it was more generally- known how beneficial they prove to those whose avocation is necessarily of an inactive character, the demand for them, enormous as it now is, would be still further increased. At the outset many have an aversion to the raw fruit eaten as a salad, but this is soon overcome, and a great liking for them takes its place. Then there are many ways of cooking the fruit, and Tomatoes are frequently one of the principal ingredients used in the formation of various savoury soups, sauces, pickles, and ketchup. In the majority of cases home-grown fruit are the best, freshness being a great point in their favour. Shop fruit, too, often are soft, flabby, and of poor flavour : while if the home-grown fruit are cut and used directly they are well coloured, they possess an agreeably piquant flavour, such as no gastronomist can long resist. As I have endeavoured to demonstrate in previous chapters, there is no great amount of skill required in the success- fiil cultivation of the Tomato, whether under glass or in the open air, and many that are already fond of this fruit will still further appreciate it when it is of their own growing. Should a failure result during the first season, and this does not often happen, the experience gained will render the next attempt an almost certain success. ADVICE TO AMATEURS, 41 Much that I have advanced in previous chapters ought to be of service to amateurs, but in all probability a few additional cultural details -will be appreciated. There are many hundreds, I may safely say thousands, of subur- ban and country residences, in the gardens of which are to be found a small range of houses, comprising, perhaps, a vinery, plant stove, and a greenhouse, or there may be but a vinery or plant house. In each or either of these houses Tomatoes may be grown, and that without entail- ing the sacrifice of, or injury to, the ordinary occupants. For an early crop in a plant stove or early vinery, sow the seed thinly (amateurs are apt to sow much too thickly) in well-drained 6-inch pots, or in pans, using fine, light, sandy soil, and covering lightly. Water through a fine rose pot, cover with a square of glass, and set the pots either in a hot-bed or else on the staging very near the hot-water pipes. When the seedlings appear, take oif the glass, and before they become drawn and weakly, transfer them to a shelf near the glass. Pot off when they have made leaves other than the seed leaves, using 4-inch pots (large 60's) and soil previously warmed, consisting of equal parts of fine loam and sifted leaf soil. Having shaken out the plants, select the best, and rather more than will eventually be required, and after having placed a little of the roughest of the soil over the few drainage crocks used, put a single plant in the centre of each pot, burying as much of the stem below the seed leaves as possible, lightly pressing the soil about it, or jarring it down. Water them in, using tepid water, both now and at all times, assign them a warm position, and shade from bright sunshine till they are rooted afresh. When this is found to be the case, return the plants to shelves and cease to shade, in order to prevent their becoming drawn. When they are grown into sturdy plants, about six inches in height, shift them into fruiting pots, which may be 10-inch or larger in diameter. Drain these lightly, especially if coarse soil is used, a suitable compost being two parts of turfy loam to one-half decayed horse droppings, finely broken. Failing turfs, use the best loam procurable, and add a portion of leaf soil. When potting, which is best performed in the house in which the plants are growing, unless a warm potting shed is near, place some of the coarsest of the 42 THE TOMATO. compost or some moss over the drainage, and pot rather deeply, allowing one-third of the depth of the pot for future top-dressings. The plants may then be set in a warm position not far from the glass, and very carefully watered at the outset, otherwise the soil will become sour before the roots are able to take possession of it. If pre- ferred, shallow boxes may be used instead of pots, the plants being disposed one foot apart in these, but pots are less unsightly. Where the plants are fruited should depend upon circumstances. They may either be trained tip the roof one foot apart, and not less than nine inches from the glass; or where there is a central staging orbed, the Tomatoes can be arranged thinly on this, each plant being supported by a tall stake. Do not top the plants, but remove all side shoots as fast as they form. Stout leading growths frequently divide at the point each time a bunch of bloom forms, but the most sappy of the two should be cut out early, a single stem only being needed. Keep rather dry when the plants are in flower, and attend well to ventilating, a high temperature and a moist atmo- sphere being fatal to a good set. Methods of fertilizing the flowers will be found detailed in other chapters. Give a top-dressing of loam and manure when the first bunches of fruit are set, and when this is well filled with roots, an occasional light surfacing of artificial manure, such as Thomson's vine manure, Bentley's soluble manure, superphosphate of lime, and native guano. These being gradually washed into the soil will greatly assist in the perfecting of a heavy crop of fine fruit. Those without a stove or forcing house of any kind, but who possess a vinery or a cool plant house, should, if possible, rear their plants in a frame over a mild hot-bed, sowing the seed early in March and treating the plants as previously advised. A serviceable lot of plants may easily be raised in that way ; but failing a hot-bed, the seed should be sown early in April, the pots being covered with a square of glass, and placed on a shelf and shaded. Although seedlings raised in this manner will make rather slow progress, they will yet be ready for their final shift early in June. In the vineries they may be fruited on the end shelves and staging, or on the back walls when these are not heavily shaded, and in the greenhouses, as ADVICE TO AMATEURS. 43 suggested for the early plants in warmer houses. They may also be put into large pots, and be allowed to ramble thinly over back walls, or be trained up, pillars, and a variety of other positions. Crowding the plants and allowing them to grow as they please are frequent causes of failure, and too much shade is also to blame for thin- ness of crops. Amateurs ought also to study the chapter devoted to open-air culture of Tomatoes, and to adopt one or more of the several methods of securing crops in favourable seasons. CHAPTER VIII. HINTS FOB MARKET GROWERS. ",N" all probability very bigli prices for Tomatoes will never again be obtained, but so great is the demand for the fruit that there is every prospect of their culture always proving remunerative. I must, however, warn intending beginners . ,, - ^,^ -, that there are risks to be run, and especially V^ Wf would I caution inexperienced persons who have a few hundreds of pounds at their disposal against investing the bulk of it in the enterprise before they have gained a good insight into the whole business. The most successful growers are those who have made a small beginning by erecting the cheapest form of houses, mainly by their own labour, and gaining knowledge step by step in profitable cultivation. According as available funds accumulate, more houses are built and more labour em- ployed, the owner, however, still taking a very active part in everything. Such men make Tomato culture pay well, and I hope to be able to point out how others may also succeed. Suitable Localities. — The site for Tomato houses and sheds ought to be near a good provincial town or a main line of railway, preferably where " through " trains stop, so that the fruit can be despatched quickly, either to the metropolis or to the most important midland and northern towns. At one time I was under the impression the Channel Island growers were specially favoured, and that HINTS FOK MARKET 6E0WEKS. 45 those commencing in this country were consequently- much handicapped. In reality the reverse is the case. At the outset, the islanders have to pay from £350 to £600 for an English acre of land ; they have to import much of their materials for building, and pay a duty to the customs for the same; the produce has to he sent great distances, this costing, in some instances, as much as £20 per ton to London, and still more to the midlands and northern counties, and always at owner's risk ; and worse than all, their climate, if milder, is also more moist than ours, and therefore more favourable to the spread of destructive fungoid diseases. It should be added, by way of encoujagement to other novices, that some of the most successful Jersey and Guernsey growers were at one time sailors, or followed some other occupation, and had no previous experience in Tomato culture, and great credit is due to their enterprise and perseverance. In any case, and wherever the start is made, it is advisable to secure sufficient land for extending the amount of glass and cultivated ground devoted to either Tomatoes or any other kind of fruit and flowers that are found to be profitable. Suitable Steuctuees. — All who have had good ex- perience will agree with me that span-roofed houses are the best for Tomato culture, and these to be the most profitable should also be well heated. They may be built to almost any length (one friend of mine having a house 750 feet long, 14 feet high, and 45 feet wide), and always run from north to south. Extra large structures, how- ever, are not recommended, especially since the outbreak of the comparatively new disease known as Cladisporium fulvum, and a more approved size would be 60 feet long, 12 feet to 13 feet high, and 25 feet to 26 feet wide. Sup- posing the ends are either stone, bricks, or concrete, and no side lights, such a house could be built for £60, and even more cheaply by those having had previous ex- perience in the matter. The heating would be a separate charge, and this would vary very much according to the number of pipes, size of boiler, and price of iron, and I shall not therefore attempt to give an estimate. The most economical, though not necessarily the best, houses would have no side walls, the wall plate being supported by concrete pillars placed about ten feet apart, the inter- 46 THE TOMATO. vening spaces boarded up. These pillars should he thirty inches long, and iifteen inches wide at the base, tapering to six inches square at the top. In these should be bedded stout bolts with a screw end clear of the pillar, this passing through the wall plate, and a strong nut duly- screwed on ,• the top of the pillars to be two inches or three inches above the ordinary ground level. If smaller houses are built, lighter and cheaper supports for the waU plates may be made. Procure sound terra-cotta drain pipes from four inches to six inches in diameter; into these iit the base of wooden posts, resting these on and surrounding by fresh cement. Next have holes dug for them and concrete ready (ashes and Portland cement being suitable) ; set the pipes containing the posts in a line, plumb up and iill round with the prepared concrete. When all is properly set, this will prove an excellent stay for the pipes, and all is ready for the wall plate. Although houses without side lights are the cheapest, they are not the best, and those who can afford to con- struct them with low side walls and lights not less than two feet high will find the additional light and sunshine admitted to the borders more than compensatory. In . any case there is no necessity to have any heavy rafters nor to construct any comparatively expensive sashes. The light battens employed, and which will answer a double purpose of rafter and sash-bar, may for a long roof, or say a length of about sixteen feet, be two and a half inches wide and iive inches deep. These to be disposed twelve inches apart, and kept in position with the aid of purlins. For the latter what is known as T iron is very suitable, but some of the more inventive Worthing growers have substituted 1-inch gas pipes, these being further utilized as a ready means of conveying water to the house, junc- tions and screws being attached to these at convenient distances for screwing on the hose. Such rather lightly constructed houses will also require a row of columns for each roof, and for these, again, 1-inch gas pipes answer well. They may be connected with the central purlin, and be not more than six feet apart. For the production of either very early or late supplies of fruit, small span-roofed, well-heated houses (l|-inch sash bars are large enough in this case) are the best, these HINTS FOR JIAEKET GROWERS. 47 also being available, if preferred, for tlie cultivation of early cucumbers. Such may be from ten feet to fifteen feet in width, the side walls (constructed of 9-inch brick- work) two feet to three feet, and the apex of the roof from seven feet to ten feet above the ordinary ground level. The floor to be sunk eighteen inches deep, and a pit about three feet wide formed next the walls on each side. The latter may well be heated with a flow and return '4-inch pipes, and two or more hot-water pipes, according to the size of the house, be carried round the sides, for the purpose of afford- ing plentjr of top-heat. In each and every case it is unwise to be very parsimonious, either as regards the quantity of piping used or the size of the boiler fixed. Three or four moderately heated pipes are more favourable to the plants than are two which require to be made excessively hot at times, while too small boilers necessitate hard firing and the waste of fuel. Those who contemplate adding more houses ought to have some provision made, either for connecting a second boiler or more pipes to those first put down. Ample ventilation ought to be provided in all cases, the necessity for this being made plain in the chapter on " Diseases and Insect Pests." For the larger span-roofed houses light top lap ventilators are the simplest, these alternating on each side. They may be of the width of either two or three rafters and about two feet in depth, the hinges used being strong and either of brass or re- volving on brass pins, otherwise th6y are liable to rust quickly. The ventilators may be connected with a ci'ank and lever apparatus, such as an ordinary blacksmith ought to be able to construct with the aid of gas-piping, a great length being, by these means, quickly opened and closed. There are other more approved methods of working these ventilators, but which I cannot enlarge upon. Where there are side lights, either half or the whole of these may also be hinged and connected with apparatus for opening and closing, in the case of small houses, ap- paratus for opening and closing the ventilators may be dispensed with, these being worked by hinged flat irons, with holes bored at short intervals to admit of being held in position by pins screwed into or fastened to the cross- bars. If the sides are of stone or brickwork only, the 48 THE TOMATO. bottom air may be admitted through, shutters or sliding doors, these being disposed about four feet apart. While on the subject of constructing houses, I oiight not to omit mentioning what I consider the best form of glazing. Various methods have been brought into promiaence during the past decade ; but, on the whole, it is doubtful if any of these will supersede the plan of glazing with bottom putty only. The rafters or sash bars should be rabbeted in the usual manner, given a " primiug " and at least one coat of paint, after which a " bedding " of putty should be formed, the glass being then pressed down on this and otherwise arranged in the old style ; but, instead of using top putty, which soon cracks and then does more harm than good, be content to neatly remove any that may squeeze upwards, and finish off with one or two coats of paint. All in time becomes well hardened, and the paint effectually excludes moisture. The Most Profitable Crops. — Those who grow for the markets will soon discover the best prices are obtained for fruit during the early part of the season, or before open-air crops are available, and again after they are exhausted. The subjoined list of prices will demonstrate this, and also serve as a guide to intending senders to Covent Garden or other markets. They were kindly supplied by a very extensive grower, and, in addition to being instructive, are also interesting as showing the great difference of the prices realized in a favourable year, or that of 1887, and the unfavourable season of 1888. CoTENT Garden, 1887. Price per lb. in each week : — May, Is. ed., Is. 4A, Is. 3d., lid. June, lid., lOd., 9d., 8Jd. July, 8d., Id., id., id. August, id., 3d., 3d., 8d. September, id., i\d., 5d., 5^d. October, 6d., 6d., 6d., 6Jd. November, 7d., TJd., 8d., 8d. December, lOd., Is., Is., Is. 7d. Covent Gabden, 1888. Price per lb. in each weeh : — May, 3s., Bs., 2s. 9d., 2s. 6d. June, 2s., Is. id., Is. id., Is. 3d. July, Is., lOd., lOd., 9d. August, 8d., 6d., 6d., 5d. September, 6d., 5d., 5d., 6§d. October, 6d., 7d., 8d., 8d. November, 8d., 9d., 9d., lid. December, ls.2d., Is., ls.3d,, ls.6d. Suitable Varieties. — Very large fruit, or any half a pound and upwards in weight, are not the best for sale, medium-sized to comparatively small samples best meet- ing the requirements of the retailers. It is also found HINTS FOR MARKET GROWERS. 49 that the smooth round fruit have slightly the advantage over the ribbed or corrugated varieties, and in any case the colour should be a rich red rather than a pale or cornelian red. Unfortunately, the smooth round-fruited varieties do not, as a rule, set so freely as the ribbed varieties, and that is the only reason why they do not entirely supersede the latter. An old favourite with market growers — Hathaway's Excelsior — is a good type of market variety, and this is still extensively grown. Gilbert's Surpasse is somewhat smaller, but sets rather more freely, and is well worthy of a trial. The Chiswick trials discovered another very free-bearing, profitable variety in Horsford's Prelude, this being found the best for market purposes. It is an American variety, and doubtless will soon be distributed in this country. Sutton's Abundance is also a heavy cropping, rather vigorous variety, and it may yet prove more disease- resisting than those possessing a weaker constitution. A trial ought also to be given to one of the varieties included in the Perfection type. As far as free setting and quick ripening is concerned, there are none to surpass and few to equal the old Large Red, and good selections from it are most favoured by the Channel Island growers. The latter are less ribbed than the ordinary type and rounder in shape, while the colour and quality is most satisfactory. Every market grower should strive to effect a cross between the Large Red and either Perfection or Hatha- way's Excelsior, and once an improved form is secured grow nothing else. Dwarf Orajigefield is a free setter, but the fruits are light in weight and unattractive in appearance. Preparing Plants.— In the chapter on " The Earliest Crops " lengthy advice was given on this portion of the subject, much of which should be applicable in this case. Hundreds of sturdy plants might be quickly raised from seed in a small forcing house, or even in well-heated pits, these receiving the least check if transplanted from pots. • Some cultivators prefer raising the required number of plants from cuttings in the autumn. Well-ripened tops and side shoots are placed singly iu 3-inch pots early in September, and set in frames over a gentle hot-bed. They are very carefully watered, sufficient air is given D 50 THE TOMATO. to prevent either damping or a weakly growth, and when well rooted, or say by the end of October, are arranged on shelves in a house where fire-heat can be given, little or much, according to the outside weather. An inter- mediate temperature best suits them, a forcing house causing an early, weakly growth ; while, if a low tempera- ture is maintained, the plants are liable to damp off or to become diseased. Autumn-raised plants, whether from cuttings or seed, can be shifted to their fruiting quarters earlier than those raised from seed in January, and an extra early supply of fruit may repay for the trouble taken. Tor the later supplies, or for putting out in April and May under glass, and at the end of May in the open, thousands of sturdy plants may be raised in frames on gentle hot-beds or in slightly heated pits, and grown either in pots or pricked out in beds of poor soil. They move best from off a hard bottom, or a layer of iine ashes, and there is no reason why the floors or beds of light and moderately warm houses should not be turned to good account in raising a large stock of plants : the seed to be sown in pans or boxes, and when the plants are of good size, and before they spoil each other, all should be pricked out six inches apart in about four inches of fine light soil. When they are large enough to transplant, the soil will be found matted with roots, this rendering the work of cutting out the plants, each with a good square of soil and roots attached, a comparatively easy matter. Remarks upon the raising and treatment of plants for producing crops in November and December will be found under the heading of " Winter Supplies." Soils and Manures. — It cannot be too often pointed out how unwise it is to plant Tomatoes in a mass of rich soil. When the roots are confined to pots, boxes, or to quite narrow borders, a moderately good compost may be desirable ; but even in this case a rich solid manure ought to be avoided. Instead of this, we would prefer to mix some kind of artificial manure in which phosphates aad potash abound. The following would answer well : To every barrow-load of good loam add a 6-inch potful of superphosphate of lime and an 8-inch potful of soot ; or, if the loam is very poor, substitute a 6-inch potful of sulphate of ammonia and kamit (crude potash salts), HINTS FOR MARKET , GROWERS. 51 mixed at the rate of one part of the former to two parts of the latter. When the Tomatoes are grown in large beds, nothing but good loam is needed. If this is some- what shallow or scarce, an equal bulk of common garden soil may be added, and the whole well mixed. A depth of eighteen inches is ample, and all the drainage needed is one or two pipe drains well below the depth of soil, these being connected with the ordinary garden or land drains. After the first season, or prior to again planting Tomatoes, the beds should be trenched, some of the above-mentioned special manures being freely mixed with it, and also a quantity of quite fresh loam. In any case a firm root-run should be made, this causing a solid fruitful growth, whereas looseness tends in the opposite direction. Training and Other Details. — The early and late plants succeed best trained up the roof of light houses, where the fruit sets most freely and ripens quickly. If the wires for their support are strained across the roof, about ten inches apart, and fully twelve inches from the glass, these will also be available for training cucumbers or melons, should it be decided to grow these at any time in preference to Tomatoes. Por these positions the plants may be put out about twelve inches apart, in narrow ridges of soil, against the sides of the house, and trained with a single stem straight up the roof. If there is a pit in the centre of the house, this also may be planted with Tomatoes, these being put out two feet apart each way, and secured to stakes. They will also succeed well in pots in similar positions. In the larger houses, where the main crops are grown, all should be planted two feet apart, the same distance dividing the rows, each plant having a tall stake affixed to it. From first to last all side shoots should be removed as fast as they form, each single stem thus favoured being better calculated to pro- duce as many fruit as the roots are capable of supporting. Nor should the plants be topped while there is head room for them, early topping materially curtailing their productiveness. On the front page is given an illustra- tion showing the method of training just advocated, and also of the way in which they may be cropped. The plants figured were ten feet high, and cropped heavily throughout their length. Those trained up the roofs may 52 THE TOMATO. with advantage be grown several feet longer. When the growth is somewhat vigorous, the leaves are apt to become crowded ; and in order to admit more light and air to the plants, it is then advisable to reduce the size of many of the leaves, any that are diseased or decaying being com- pletely removed. I have already alluded to the necessity for avoiding the maintenance of very high temperatures and a moist atmosphere, these conditions, if permitted, as well as strong growth, being prejudicial to a good set. Give water sparingly till the first bunches of flower are formed, and if the plants flag while in flower they are more likely to set fruit the more freely. A smart tap given near midday will help to distribute the pollen, and it is always advisable to remove any ill-shaped or fasciated flowers that form. After a good crop is set, the plants ought to be liberally fed, and in hot positions a mulching of short manure may advantageously be given. Remarks on temperatures will be found at the end of the chapter on the " Earliest Crops." Marketing the Fruit. — As a rule, no difficulty is experienced in getting rid of the fruit as fast as it ripens. If it can be sold at a good price in the neighbourhood where it is grown, so much the better ; but in most in- stances the bulk has to be sent to the markets of large towns. Covent Garden absorbs the greater proportion of the Tomatoes grown in the south, but immense quantities are also consigned to Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham, Sheffield, Birmingham, and other important towns north- ward. It is an advantage to be able to send direct to large shops; but, generally speaking, the market salesmen have to find customers for the fruit. Middlemen are considered necessary evils, but there are plenty of fair- dealing men among them, and a shrewd grower can soon discover if he is not being well treated, and act accord- ingly. I have already given the average prices for two years, but from these must be deducted about 25 per cent., this including salesman's commission (usually 10 per cent.), market tolls, and the heavy railway charges. Railway and steamboat charges vary considerably, but in most instances it will be found that a saving is effected by sending in packages containing not less than six lbs. in weight. Thus, if sent from Guernsey by steamboat and HINTS FOR MARKET GROWERS. 63 rail to London, one hundredweiglit gross would be de- livered at the ' rate of one penny per pound, while the charge for small quantities ranges from ninepence for four pounds to one shilling and sixpence for fourteen pounds. It costs rather more to send to Manchester, the charge for fourteen pounds being one shilling and eleven- pence. It is a great mistake to keep the fruit till quite soft before packing, as then it will be of little worth when it reaches its destination. All should be coloured, quite firm, and sound. The Gruemsey growers pack their fruit in closely made cross-handled baskets, each holding from eight to twelve pounds. These baskets cost one shilling each, but the bulk of them being duly returned, last for several years. Larger weights of fruit in one package do not travel well, nor if they did would they sell so readily, buyers preferring smaller lots. When this kind of basket is used (a pattern of which can be obtained from the leading salesmen), they should be lined with fairly thick, yet soft, paper; and it is advisable to wrap each fruit separately in a square of similar paper', prior to packing them closely in the basket : the top of the basket to be well papered over, and laced with string, to prevent " iingering." Small quantities of fruit, when high prices are realized, ought to be even more carefully packed, the fruit being wrapped up and surrounded with dry soft moss or fine dry grass. A memorandum, bearing the name of the sender and the weight of fruit, should accompany each package, and all should be made suffi- ciently tight to withstand rough handling — a by no means imfrequent occurrence. CHAPTER IX. TOMATOES FOB EXHIBITION. ^GHT years ago I stated, and still maintain, that the Tomato owed much of its rapidly attained popularity to the introduction of the handsome round-fruited varieties, and for which our thanks are due to American raisers. At innumerable flower shows these are seen to the best advantage, no other vegetables and but few fruit being so attractive in appearance. Tomatoes figure very conspicuously and have good weight in a collection of choice vegetables ; and where a class is provided specially for them, this usually proves quite' a feature in the exhibition. The preference is, in most instances, given by the judges to good samples of the richly coloured, smooth, round-fruited varieties ; but should it happen that these are badly selected, having perhaps misshapen, scarred centres, a good judge would be justified in giving the prizes to well-selected dishes of Large Red or any other corrugated form. The most successful com- petitors are those who use the greatest judgment in selecting their fruit, all of which should be as near the same size as possible, and without open or scarred centres. If the fruit is both large and handsome in form, so much the better; but ia most cases it will prove the wisest course to stage perfect examples, averaging half a pound each, rather than any double that weight if these are badly formed. Although I have given prominence to the necessity for 64 TOMATOES FOR EXHIBITION. 55 carefully selecting exhibition fruit, there are a few other details which need emphasizing. Much depends upon the choice of a variety or varieties to be grown. Any bearing the name of Perfection, or belonging to this type, are suitable, and with these are included Hackwood Park Prolific and Ham, Green ^Favourite, both of which are large and handsome. So also are Dedham Favourite, Turner Hybrid, and several other varieties, which are alluded to elsewhere. As a rule, the finest fruit are obtaiaed from young seed- ling plants, those that have been bearing fruit some time previous to the date on which a dish is needed for exhibition rarely producing any sufficiently good to gain a first prize. Nor can plants grown in the open air be depended upon to yield sound, handsome fruit when most needed. The seed should therefore be sown about three months before the fruit is required, and the plants be kept under glass. They may be grown either in pots, boxes, or be planted in narrow borders, and either staked uprightly or trained up the roof of the house, plenty of room and light being necessary in all cases. Crowded or much starved plants cannot be expected to produce fine fruit, but neither should grossness be encouraged. At the outset no manure ought to be given, and when the first bunch of flowers is expanding the plants should be kept " on the dry side " at the roots, but not to the extent advised in other chapters. On no account should the first large and much-fasciated flowers be allowed to develop and set, as the fruit from these would inevitably be correspondingly coarse and ill- formed. What are needed are two or three perfectly formed, well-set fruit on each bunch (those imperfectly fertilized swelling unevenly) ; and to be certain of these it is usually necessary to carefully impregnate all reserved blooms, when the pollen is dry, with the aid of a camel's- hair brush. Beyond attending rather closer to the selec- tion of, first, the flowers, and, subsequently, the quite young fruit, these being thinned freely, the other details not here alluded to are substantially the same as advised in previous chapters. I ought, perhaps, to add that the fruit keep best when ripe in a cool, diy room. Cut as soon as coloured. CHAPTEE X. BEMAEKS ON VARIETIES. kF late years there has been a great increase in the number of novelties, some being really- distinct and valuable, and others differing slightly, if at all, from established favourites. A few of them have been sent from America, but the majority are of English origin, and are the natural result of an increased demand , and great love of. Tomatoes generally. Not being in a position to give a fair trial to all that have been introduced, I must, in all fairness, content myself with a few comments on the best I have grown, and shall not attempt a severe weeding-out process. All things considered, the Perfection type is undoubt- edly the most popular, these being good croppers, of handsome form, of a rich red colour, and excelle'nt in quality. I believe Carter's Perfection was first in the field, and I have long grown this popular form. Read- ing Perfection, Hackwood . Park Prolific, Ham Green Pavourite, Livingstone's Perfection, Webb's Sensation and Jubilee, and Mayflower, are all included in this section, and any one of them accorded a fair trial will give the greatest satisfaction. Sutton's Abundance is more vigor- ous than any of the preceding, and with the roots well confined wil] yield heavy crops of handsome fruit. The Acme type differs from the foregoing in point of colour only, this being cornelian red, or more nearly approaching pink than red. Dedham Favourite is the most superior in this class, this being a remarkably heavy cropper in 56 REMARKS ON VARIETIES. 57 the open, and does well under glass. No fault can be found with the quality of the last named. Trophy, oy Stamfordian, is quite distinct from all the preceding, both in habit of growth and the size and quality of fruit. It is inclined to be ill-formed and coarse, but by carefully selecting the flowers it is possible to have handsome fruit. There is less need for this variety than was the case eight years ago. Mikado, a compara- tive recent American introduction, is of vigorous growth, has large broad foliage, and the fruit is very large, smooth, and round, in colour cornelian red. It is not well adapted for house culture, but in the year 1887 it succeeded admirably against sunny open walls, and in point of quality surpassed all others. Canadian correspondents have grown this variety upwards of a pound in weight, and I have had them nearly as heavy without the fruit being misshapen. Turner Hybrid, selected from the Mikado, is of a deep rich red colour, and with us suc- ceeded well in a moderately warm house, producing many handsome dishes of exhibition fruit. Among medium-sized globular-fruited varieties, the first to be mentioned as being an old favourite is Hathaway's Excelsior. This does well either under glass or in the open, the fruit being handsome and good in quality. It is one of the best for market growers. Gilbert's Surpasse is rather more productive, the fruit being of good quality, but scarcely so heavy as the preceding. It should prove a useful variety for all classes of growers; and Horford's Prelude, which much resembles* it, occupied a high posi-. tion in the Chiswick trials. King Humbert, Chiswick Red, Vick's Criterion, Queen of Tomatoes, and Nisbet's Victoria, are all very productive, the fruit being produced in great clusters, and in most instances near the size and shape of plums. None of them are of first-rate quality, but they are very ornamental. Those varieties with corrugated or ribbed fruit, of which the old Large Red is a good type, are invariably the freest setters, these often succeeding where the more ■ shy-setting, smooth-fruited varieties fail. Unfortunately they do not weigh so heavily as the latter, nor are they so attractive in appearance. A good selection of the Large Red, or one with a little of the blood of Perfection 58 THE TOMATO, in its veins, is undoubtedly of tlie greatest value either for open-air or house culture. These are most valued by- some of the leading market growers, who fully appreciate the merits of such stocks. Those who are fortunate in obtaining these selections will find them especially service- able for producing early and late supplies of fruit, good in point of colour, and the quality is also, satisfactory. The true Dwarf Orangefield, of which Vilmorin's Early Dwarf Red is a synonym, is well adapted for early forcing, and it also does well in the open. Sutton's Earliest of All somewhat resembles the latter, and is a favourite for open air especially. Laxton's Open Air is also dwarf, early, and reliable, and belongs to this section. Other ribbed varieties, such as Conqueror, Sim's Mammoth, Hepper's Goliath, and President Garfield, are not needed, the two last-named being more remarkable for size and ugliness than any other quality they may possess. Large Yellow is a heavy cropper, but produces many unshapely fruit, while the quality is always poor, the fiavour being flat and insipid. The very small fruited varieties, such as Red and Yellow Cherry, Grape-shot, Turk's Cap, Red Currant, Sutton's Cluster, are all very pretty, and may well be grown under glass or against sunny open walls, for decorative purposes, but the quality is inferior in each instance. More attention is now being bestowed upon the pro- duction of yellow-fruited varieties, of quite a different tjrpe from the Large Y§llow, and some of them of very attractive appearance. As yet Carter's Greengage, a small, smooth, round-fruited variety, is the best for eating purposes, and if less vigorous and more productive would have become a great favourite. Golden Queen, which appears to have been raised simultaneously in several quarters, is fairly productive, the fruit being of medium size, handsome, but not first-rate as regards quality. Sutton's Golden Nugget is remarkably prolific, especially in the open, the fruit, borne in great clusters, being rather small, egg-shaped, and of a rich yellow colour, but the quality is second rate. All the yellow-fruited va- ' rieties, with the one exception noted, are wanting in acidity ; and if the superior flavour of Perfection could be imparted to them, Tomatoes of this description would soon be classed as dessert fruit. CHAPTEE XI. DISEASES AND INSECT FESTS. 'HERE are not many of these, but what few, of the former especially, there are have baffled all efforts to cure, and it is not easy to prevent their appearance. During wet, sunless sum- mers, such as that of 1888, Tomatoes in the open were almost destroyed by the too well known potato disease {Peronospora infestans), and either this or forms of it were also troublesome to many plants under glass. As far as open-air plants are concerned, there is really no preventing or curing the disease : we are entirely at the mercy of the weather, our climate apparently being at times very favourable to fungoid growths. The spores are wafted about by winds, and wherever a lodgment is effected on a congenial living plant they soon penetrate and spread through the in- terior of the leaves, as weU as the soft outer tissues of the stems, rapid decay being inevitable in each instance. No remedy has been discovered, nor, I much fear, ever will be ; and we shall have to class the open-air Tomato crop as one of the most precarious that can be tried. Under glass, and especially in well-heated houses, it is possible to either prevent an outbreak of the potato disease, or, at any rate, to materially check its progress. After repeated trials and close observation, I have arrived at the conclusion that many failures are due to haphazard ventilation. A moist atmosphere is most favourable to the outbreak and spread of the disease, and it is mv 59 60 THE TOMATO. belief the spores are generally admitted through the front lights. In windy, sunless, rainy weather these ought, therefore, to be kept nearly or quite closed, the top lights being opened and, if possible, sufficient fire-heat afforded to maintain a buoyant atmosphere. Nor should a current of moist and, it may be, disease-laden air be allowed to pass through pits and frames when these are planted with Tomatoes. In clear, warm weather the lights may either be drawn off or blocked up in the centre, but when disease is in the air the lights ought to be pushed down from the back only. Every affected leaf or a portion of a leaf should be removed directly it is observed and burnt, and occasionally it may be necessary to cut a portion of the stem clean out. Cladisporium fulvum. — The potato disease is insig- nificant as compared with this more recent enemy, as its life history is understood, and even if there is no cure there is a strong probability of preventive measures proving successful. The disease has yet to be traced in all its stages, and there are some, myself among the number, who are disposed to consider it constitutional rather than climatical, and therefore more difficult to grapple with. From what I have seen and heard of this much-to-be-dreaded disease it may be propagated by seed saved from affected plants, and this theory is strongly corroborated by a very extensive grower who has had to contend with it. This gentleman is not prepared to positively assert the disease is solely spread by means of a tainted stock, as I suggested might be the case, but mentions having obtained seeds from a friend, who, judging from the tone of his letter to Tlie Times, had the Cladisporium among his plants. These were sown in a place where no Tomatoes had been previously grown, and the seedlings " developed disease spots while still in the seed pan." One thing is only too evident — viz., this enemy is but little affected by the climate, as it was q[uite as destructive during the hot and dry year of 1887 as in 1888, and it is to be hoped that a remedy will soon be forthcoming. For the benefit of those who, fortunately for themselves, have not had this disease to contend with, it should be stated the first symptoms are yellow spots on the lower leaves, these soon spreading and meeting DISEASES AND INSECT PESTS. 61 the wliole of tlie tissues, and eventaally the greater portion of the plant being destroyed by it. It is quite distinct in character from the potato disease, both in the manner of attack and the appearance of the spots and patches, little or none of the flocculence or woolly ap- pearance plainly visible in the case of the latter being seen. It has broken out in various parts of this country, as well as the Channel Islands, some of these being remote from any other places where Tomatoes are grown, and in every instance the crops were either ruined or seriously lessened. What makes the matter very disquieting is the fact that no precautionary measures, however radical, can be relied upon to prevent an outbreak in the same house when next it is iilled with Tomatoes. Houses have been cleared of everything previously used in the cultivation of Tomatoes, thoroughly cleaned, and the most powerful; disinfectants that could be thought of used, but all to no purpose, the disease in the following season re-appearing with even worse virulence, affecting the fully grown fruit as well as the leaves of the plants. All kinds of insecticides have been used on the plants, including sulphate of copper in fine powder mixed with newly slaked lime, this being dusted over the foliage — which it was found better able to kill — the disease spreading in spite of it. Of the various comments and suggestions made on the subject of this disease, that advanced by Mr. J. Wright of the Journal of Horticulture is worthy of consideration. This gentleman maintains, and rightly so, I believe, that too high culture in the early stages is, to say the least, un- wise and calculated to frequently end in failure. Not only are too highly fed young plants almost certain to be shy in bearing, but grossness or a soft, sappy growth predisposes the plants to disease, and ought to be guarded against as much as possible. If at the dutset the plants are put out in comparatively poor loamy soil, kept rather sparingly supplied with water, and a dry atmosphere maintained till a good crop of fruit is set, and afterwards, if the weather is dull, there is much greater likelihood of disease being averted or restricted. Only a moderately high temperature should be maintained, and a good circulation of air, in addition to a free use of fire-heat, is at such 62 THE TOMATO. times indispensable. An experienced grower, frequently alluded to in these pa^es, found it almost impossible to combat the disease in his largest span-roofed houses, or those 700 feet long, the moisture, and, it may be, the presence of more ammonia in the atmosphere, evidently favouring the enemy. To use his own words, the Cladi- sporium " spread most rapidly in the larger houses, the plants, as a rule, being spoilt in a few weeks, whereas those in well-heated, smaller houses partially recovered their vigour and set late and valuable crops." Those, then, who intend commencing growing Tomatoes on an extensive scale ought to run no risks by building extra large, un- heated structures, but rather erect smaller, well-heated houses such as I have described in another chapter. Any other fungus diseases, including mildew, can also be checked or prevented by the maintenance of a buoyant atmosphere, and in all cases it is advisable to try two or three applications of sulphur; also painting the pipes with the same, I would also advise all to procure their seed, where possible, from sources where no disease has been seen on the plants, and I would be especially chary of sowing imported seed. According to private information, the Cladisporium, or what much resembles it, has shown itself at Manitoba, and elsewhere in America; but although I am not prepared to assert we have to blame our friends across the Atlantic for the visitation complained of in this country, it is by no means improbable. Should the disease continue to spread, I would strongly- advise those who have a healthy stock of a profitable variety or varieties to be content with these, and propagate either by home-saved seed or cuttings. Spoeocybe Lycopeksici. — Yet another, though not very common, disease remains to be alluded to — viz., that known as Sporocybe lycopersici. In some seasons, includ- ing that of 1887, a considerable number of fruit in various stages of growth have developed black blotches, princi- pally at the crown of the fruit, the decay rapidly spread- ing so as to quite spoil the fruit. Nothing definite is known as to the cause of this disease, and no certain cure or preventive can be given. Some authorities have ex- pressed the belief that imperfect fertilization is to blame, and a hoUowness at the affected parts to a certain extent DISEASES AND INSECT PESTS. 63 corroborates this view. I am of opinion it is the result of injury to the delicate pistils of the flower, either by insects or from atmospheric causes, decay, slow and sure, being the inevitable result. Luckily this disease is not prevalent every season, nor are whole crops decimated by it. In all probability measures taken to prevent the other diseases discussed will also be efficacious in this case. A dry and breezy atmosphere is most important. Insect Pests.— The most troublesome, though fortu- nately not the most destructive, insect is also the most common. I allude to the small white fly, or midge, called Aleyrodes vaporariarum. Very few places are free of this pest. There is no mistaking it, and it is almost an impossibility 'to get rid of it when once it has become located in a garden. Years ago, before Tomatoes were much grown, this Aleyrodes could be found in numerous plant houses, being especially fond of the old variegated greenhouse plant duranta argentea, and it is apparently equally fond of ageratums and a few other plants with soft hairy leaves. Ceasing to grow Tomatoes for a year, with the idea that this is the only way to eradicate this pest, is therefore doomed to failure, as it will make its home even on zonale pelargoniums for want of a more congenial host. Frequent fumigations with tobacco paper, or the more easily managed Lethorion, will destroy great numbers of the insects, but many escape, having a happy knack of falling to the ground for a time, and recovering when the air is again clear of fumes. Insecticides are also of little avail, seeing that the flies " rise in a cloud " directly they are disturbed in any way. It is possible, however, to keep down this pest, if not to exterminate it. Frequent fumigations will, if persevered with, destroy the flies, but will not affect the 'numerous eggs deposited thickly on the under side of the leaves. These, if un- disturbed, soon hatch out, and a fresh progeny is the result. It is that which constitutes the difficulty. A correspondent in the Journal of Horticulture has found an excellent remedy in Calvert's carbolic soft soap, this being dissolved in hot water and applied with a syringe. Repeated applications completely cleared the plants of . both insects and eggs, and the plan is well worthy of a ,trial. Any chemist would supply the soap, and full direc- 64 THE TOMATO. tions for use will be found on the jars. It does not in- jure the foliage, but the ordinary soft soap used in a similar manner may do so. The best remedy I have tried is sulphur, this being mixed with syringing water, a handful being] worked through a muslin bag into a 3- gallon can. After two or three applications the under side of all the leaves becomes well coated with sulphur, and if it does not destroy the eggs, it prevents more being deposited, eventually clearing the plants of the Aleyrodes. Red Spider is sometimes troublesome, more especially where a very dry heat is maintained. Syringing not always being advisable, other steps must be taken to check the increase of this minute pest. Nothing answers so well or can be so safely used as sulphur, this being applied as above advised. Wire-worms are not unfrequently very destructive among Tomatoes. These eat their way up through the stems of the plants, flagging foliage being the first sign of their presence. There is no cure, and prevention must be the watchword. All that can be done is to pull up the injured plants and plant others in soil free of wire- worms. If fresh turfy loam, known to be infested with them, is used, this ought to be frequently turned and the pests picked out and destroyed. As this would be a tedious job in the case of several tons of soil, the quicker plan would be to well mix gas lime with the turf, say at the rate of one peck of the former to twelve bushels of loam. This ought to be done six months prior to using the loam, an occasional turning being given to the heap. This delay is necessary owing to the gas lime when fresh being injurious to the Tomato roots ; but nothing save burning will so effectually rid the soil of wire-worms. It is only in fresh turf that wire-worms are found in large injurious num- bers, and should any containing them be used they must be trapped or destroyed in some way. Superphosphate of lime, in addition to being an excellent manure for To- matoes, is also distasteful to wire-worms ; but for reasons already given this or any other stimulant should not be used before a crop of fruit is set on the plants. Trapping must therefore be resorted to. The simplest plan is to "attach either carrots or potatoes to sticks, and bury them DISEASES AND INSECT PESTS. 65 about a foot apart and from four inches to six incites deep in the borders or beds. Squares of freshly dug turf are also very effectual. These should be drawn out and examined daily, and all the wire-worms collected in them destroyed. When once the soil under cover is cleared of them, no more will be bred in it. Wire-worms are the grubs of click beetles, and these are principally found in the open fields, where they deposit their eggs. Anguillul^. — I have had several bad cases of Toma- toes, with their roots knotted or worty, submitted to my notice, and there are many partial or complete failures that might be traced to this cause. When the roots are in this state the plants make little progress, flagging seriously on sunny days, and they can easily be drawn out of the ground. Small thread-like worms, or vibrios, which, strange to say, belong to the Eel tribe, and are specifically termed Anguillulse, are the cause of the col- lapse. These are introduced either by water or manure, and once established cannot be dislodged. They penetrate the delicate roots, in which they deposit their eggs, and the worms resulting make their home in the roots, the latter being of little further service to the plants. Various remedies have been tried, but the only plan I can recom- mend is the complete clearance of the plants and com- post, the walls being thoroughly cleaned and washed — quite hot lime being used for this purpose. I have met with no bad cases where nothing but good loam was given the plants to root in. Rich vegetable mould or manure of some kind freely mixed with the soil is, I am convinced, the cause of the mischief, and if this is withheld, as it well may be, no worms or " eels " will injure the roots. I have my doubts about the wisdom of using bone meal or crushed bones with the loam ; but if the latter is of a heavy nature, and devoid of fibre, there is much to be said in favour of a good addition of charred garden refuse. CHAPTER XII. uses SIXTY GOOD AND USEFUL BECIPES. T will be seen by the subjoined list (and for permission to use which I am greatly in- debted to Dr. Hogg, Mrs. de Salis, and others) there are quite a bewildering number of re- cipes for sauces, soups, ketchups, pickles, and cooking Tomatoes generally ; but I venture to j hope some of them will be of good service to '/ each of my readers — not omitting those who are vegetarians. The following are the principal to which the fruit is applied : — Tomato Sauce. — Bake six Tomatoes in an oven till they are quite soft ; with a spoon take out the pulp, which strain through a coarse cloth, or strainer, to take out the seeds; then add salt, cayenne pepper, and as much vinegar as will give it the consistency of cream. Tomato Sauce {French). — Cut ten or a dozen Toma- toes into quarters, and put them into a saucepan, with four onions sliced, a little parsley, thyme, one clove, and a quarter of a pound of butter. Set the saucepan on the fire, stirring occasionally for three-quarters of an hour. Strain the sauce through a horse-hair sieve, and it is then ready for use. Tomato Sauce (Italian).— Take twelve or fifteen Tomatoes, a bit of butter, a little salt, half a dozen all" spice, a little Indian saffron, and a glass of stock. Slice five or six onions, and put the whole into a saucepan. 06 SIXTY GOOD AND USEFUL EECIPES. 67 Set it on the fire and stir frequently, as the mixture is apt to stick. "When the sauce is observed to be tolerably- thick, strain it like a puree. Tomato Ketchup (1).— Take Tomatoes when fully ripe, bake them in a jar till they are tender. Strain them and rub them through a sieve. To every pound of juice add a pint of chili vinegar, an ounce of shallots, half an ounce of garlic (both sliced), a quarter of an ounce of salt, and a quarter of an ounce of white pepper finely powdered. Boil the whole till every ingredient is soft ; rub it again through a sieve. To every pound add the juice of three lemons ; boil it again to the consistency of cream. When cold, bottle it ; put a small quantity of sweet oil on each, tie bladders over, and keep in a dry place. Tomato Ketchup (2).— Slice the Tomatoes. Put them in layers into a deep earthen pan, and sprinkle every layer with salt. Let them stand in this state for twelve' hours. Then put them over the fire in a preserving kettle, and let them simmer till they arB quite soft. Put them into a thin linen bag and squeeze the juice from them. Season the liquor to taste with grated horse-radish, a little garlic, some mace, and a few cloves. Boil it well with these in- gredients, and, when cold, bottle it for use. Tomato Ketchup (3). — Slice the Tomatoes and sprinkle them with salt. Boil them and strain through a coarse sieve. Slice two good-sized onions to every gallon ; add a small spoonful of ginger, two of pounded cloves, two of allspice, and one teaspoonful of white pepper. Boil twenty minutes after the spices are in. Keep it in a jar well-covered. Tomato Ketchup (4). — Skin, slice, and boil the Tomatoes well ; then put to one gallon not strained a quarter of an ounce of mace, nutmeg, and cloves, one handful of scraped horse-radish, two pods of red pepper, or one spoonful of ground pepper, and salt to taste. Boil this away to three quarts, and strain, adding a pint of wine and half a pint of vinegar. Bottle it, and leave the bottles open for two or three days, as it sometimes ferments a little and requires scalding. Then cork it tightly. 68 THE TOMATO. Tomato Soup (1). — Wash, scrape, and cut small the red part of three carrots, three heads of celery, four large onions, and two large turnips. Put them into a sauce- pan with a tablespoonful of biitter and half a pound of lean ham. Let them stew gently for an hour, then add three quarts of brown gravy soup, and some whole black pepper, with eight or ten Tomatoes. Let it boil an hour and a half, and pulp it through a sieve; serve it with fried bread cut into dice. Tomato Soup (2). — Take a ghin of veal and put it into a pot with three quarts of water, two carrots, and two onions, and three turnips sliced, some pepper and salt, and one or two dozen Tomatoes. Boil it for three hours, and strain through a sieve. Toast some bread very brown, cut it into small dice, put it into a tureen, and, when the soup is ready, put it over the bread. Tomato Soup (3). — Wash the Tomatoes and slice them without peeling. Measure and piit them to cook in a porcelain kettle. For every .three quarts of sliced Toma- toes add two onions, one carrot, and one turnip, all cut or chopped into small pieces ; also two bay leaves, six cloves, a stick of cinnamon, a blade of mace, ten pepper- corns, and as many grains of allspice, a teaspoonful of sugar, and a head of celery or some bruised celery seed. Boil steadily for two hours, then strain through a sieve, pressing it so as to obtain all the pulp without the seed. Wash out the kettle, and return the liquid to it. Boil slowly for two hours longer. Season to taste with salt and cayenne pepper. It should be, when done, like thick ketchup. Stir frequently to prevent scorching, and be sure to use only a wooden spoon. Tin or iron uteiisils used in cooking Tomatoes impart an unpleasant taste. The soup may be bottled, corked, and sealed the same as ketchup. In serving, dilute it with strong meat broth (veal is best) until of the desired consistency. Flavour to taste with salt, pepper, and Tomato ketchup, and serve with croutons. Cut these little diamonds of stale bread very small and even, fry them to a light brown in boiling dripping, drain well, and put them into a tureen and pour the soup, which should be hot, but not boiling, over them. SIXTY GOOD AND USEFUL RECIPES. 69 Tomato Jelly (1).— Wash the Tomatoes and put them in a preserving pan with a little water, and let them boil half an hour. Take them out and strain them through a sieve till you get all the pulp. Let it settle and pour off the top ; put the thick part in deep plates, and set them in the oven after the bread is drawn. Season with pepper and salt to taste, and put it away into ajar. It can either be eaten cold with roast meat or warmed up with crumbs of bread and butter. Tomato Jelly (2).— Take two pounds of Tomatoes, half a grain of cayenne pepper, and two shallots. Place them in a stewpan and boil them till quite soft. Melt fifteen sheets of the thin French gelatine, and pour it into the mixture, then pass all through a sieve, and mould. Serve with chopped aspic jelly. A little grated Parmesan sprinkled over it is an improvement. Tomato Omelette (1). — Mix two or three tablespoons- ful of flour with a very little water. Add six or eight well-beaten eggs, with salt and pepper. Peel and chop very fine three or four Tomatoes, stir these together, and fry either in one large or in smaller omelettes. Tomato Omelette (2). — Take four. Tomatoes, peel and mince them fine. Mix a tablespoonful of fiour with a little milk, till it is quite smooth ; add three eggs to it (beaten), a little salt, and a dust of cayenne, the Toma- toes, and half a minced shallot. Pry the omelette in the usual way, and serve very hot. Tomatoes Baked (1). — Select thoroughly ripened fruit; cut them in halves, sprinkle the cut halves with bread crumbs, sugar, salt, pepper, and butter. Place them in a baking pan with the cut side upwards, and bake in an oven for two hours. Serve on a platter garnished with curled parsley. Tomatoes Baked (2). — Pour boiling water over the Tomatoes, cover them, and let them stand one hour. Peel them, and then put as many as will cover the bottom of a pie dish. Season with pepper and salt, and sprinkle bread crumbs over them with a few pieces of butter, then a layer of more Tomatoes with seasoning, and bake them one hour. 70 THE TOMATO. ToMATOKS Fricasseed. — Wash them and cut them in two if they are large, if small leave them whole ; but do not peel them, otherwise they go too much to pieces. Have a broad pan, into which put half a spoonful of butter. Season the Tomatoes with pepper and salt, and flour them ; cover them with a plate, and cook them for ten minutes, stirring them once. Pour in half a tea- cupful of cream just as they are done ; let them boil up and dish them while hot. This is a dish much relished for breakfast or dinner. ToiiATO Canapes. — Cut some slices of bread two and a half inches in diameter and one-eighth of an inch thick, fry them a pale colour, and spread them with cold Parmesan btitter (that is, butter and grated Parmesan cheese well pounded together). Dip small Tomatoes into hot water, skin them, and put one on each piece of bread, arranging some iinely minced parsley around and grated Parmesan on the top of each. Tomatoes Stuffed (1). — Dip as many Tomatoes as re- quired into boiling water for a minute, peel them, make a hole near the stalk, scoop out the centre of the fruit with an egg-spoon, and place them on a buttered or oiled sheet of paper in a baking-tin. Make a stuffing with sausage meat and very thin Tomato sauce ; fill the Toma- toes with this, sprinkle over with grated bread crumbs, and place a piece of butter on the centre of each. Bake for ten minutes in a good oven; dish them on fried croutons, and serve quickly. Tomatoes Stuffed (2). — Dip the Tomatoes into boil- ing water, peel them and scoop out the centres with a spoon, and place the Tomatoes on a tin dish. Mix a lump of butter the size of a walnut with one ounce of flour, a little mushroom liquor, a tablespoonful of Tomato sauce, a dessertspoonful of olive oil, a teaspoonful of chopped parsley and shallots in equal quantities, a little salt and pepper to taste ; stir all in a saucepan till quite hot and thoroughly mixed. Fill each Tomato with some of this stuffing, sprinkle them with grated bread crust. Pour a few teaspoonsful of olive oil into the dish, and bake for ten or twelve minutes, and brown with a salamander. SIXTY GOOD AXD USKFUL RECIPES. 71 Tomatoes Stuffed au Geatix.— Cut the centres from six Tomatoes all of uniform size, and squeeze the pieces cut without breaking them ; season each with a very little pepper and salt. Mince six mushrooms, chop finely one onion, two shallots, two ounces of lean ham or tongue, and about a teaspoonful of parsley. Put all these chopped ingredients into a small stew-pan with two ounces of butter, and stew well over the fire till they are thoroughly cooked, taldng care not to burn them. Have some brown sauce ready, which stir into the other in- gredients. Fill each Tomato with some of this prepara- tion, and sprinkle over each with some bread crumbs, in which has been mixed a dessertspoonful of grated Parmesan cheese ; put a small piece of butter on each. Place them in a moderate oven for about ten minutes, and serve, quickly and hot. Tomatoes Broiled. — Take large Tomatoes, wash and wipe them, and put them on a gridiron over a clear fire, the stem side downwards. When this is done, turn them and let them cook till quite hot through. Place them on a hot dish and send them quickly to table, when each one can add seasoning according to his or her taste. Tomato Cream (Mrs. de Salis). — Cut some Tomatoes in slices, oil a plain mould, and arrange the Tomatoes all round in circles, and at the bottom of the mould make a vfhite pur ('.e of mushrooms, which has been cooked and allowed to cool, and in which, after cooking, half a pint of aspic jelly has been well stirred in. Put this pur6e into the mould and set on ice for some hours ; turn out and serve with a little chervil and tarragon salad round the base, and arrange aspic jelly cut in devices on the top. Hard-boiled eggs in quarters should be placed at equal distances on the chervil salad. Tomatoes Curried. — Cut Tomatoes in slices, bake them, grate an apple, chop a shallot small, and fry these in butter till quite tender; add a heaped-up dessert- spoonful of curry powder, four tablespoonfuls of good gravy ; simmer all together a few minutes. Add the Tomatoes and a tablespoonful of cocoa-nut milk, a squeeze of lemon juice, and a tiny bit of sweet chutnee. Serve hot. 72 THE TOMATO. Tomato Souffle. — Prepare some Tomato pulp— it must not be too tiiin — stir in the yolks of three eggs and afterwards the whites well beaten. Fill a large souffle case or a number of smaller ones, and bake as other souflies. Tomato Toast. — Take two good-sized Tomatoes and put them into boiling water for two minutes, peel and mince them very fine with two red chillies, a little salt, and a small shallot. Put half an ounce of butter in a saucepan with a dessertspoonful of milk ; add the Tomato mixture. Cook it for a few minutes and mix in a well-beaten egg. Go on cooking till it is the thickness of scrambled eggs, and serve on slices of fried bread, and strew a little parsley passed through the sieve on the top. Tomato Fritters. — Bake some Tomatoes till nearly cooked (they must be rather uncooked); add some Parmesan cheese and a little finely chopped shallot. Add as much cream and the white of one egg as will make the preparation of the consistency of butter, drop this batter into a frying-pan of boiling butter, and when the fritters rise take them out and send them to the table, just dust- ing over with grated Parmesan cheese. Tomatoes Iced. — Scald the Tomatoes for a minute or so and peel carefully, cut out the stalks with a sharp knife, remove about one teaspoonful of the contents, and put in a pinch of salt, sugar, and pepper, and as much minced parsley, shallot, and tarragon as will fill the space ; boil (that is, reduce) some cream with an onion and some salt until quite thick, put a dessertspoonful under each Tomato, ice the whole, and serve in the dish it is dressed in. Tomatoes a la Poetuguise. — Slice half a dozen ripe Tomatoes, season with pepper and salt, and put little pieces of butter here and there over them. Mince two onions finely and sprinkle over the Tomatoes, cover the saucepan slowly and steam them for fifteen minutes. Then povir a gill of good brown gravy over them, stir often, and let them simmer till done. Have ready four ounces of freshly boiled rice, stir this in with the Tomatoes, and mix thoroughly. Turn out on a hot dish. SIXTY GOOD AND USEFUL RECIPES. 73 and send brown mushroom sauce in a tureen to hand with it. Tomato Chartreuse (Mrs. de Salis). — Make a good purie of Tomatoes in which some shallot has been minced, and mix with it three well-beaten eggs and a little salt and cayenne. Have a plain double mould, which must bo well buttered ; poiir some Tomato purde into the outer mould, and pour into the centre some rich white sauce, in which two whole eggs have been beaten up ; add some small button mushrooms, and put this into the inner mould. Tie the mould with a cloth and steam it like an ordinary custard pudding. It should be kept quite up- right, and when turned out on the dish pour round some tournde sauce ; sprinkle a little grated parsley over the top. Tomatoes a la Provencale.— Choose some nicely shaped Tomatoes, and of an equable size ; divide them in the middle, leaving the blossom side the largest ; empty them neatly of their seeds and juice, and have ready a mixture made of two ounces of minced ham, two ounces of mushrooms, two ounces of bread crumbs, six shallots, a teaspoonful of parsley, a quarter saltspoonful of cayenne, a pinch of salt, two ounces of butter, two yolks of eggs. Stew all together except the eggs and bread crumbs. After stewing let the mixture cool, then mix m the bread crumbs and the eggs, fill the Tomatoes, cover them with fine bread crumbs, and moisten them with clarified butter, and bake them in a brisk oven till they are well coloured. Tomatoes a la Erancesco. — Procure some small round bell-shaped Tomatoes, peel and core them with a column cutter, and fill up the inside with three or four anchovies, cut very small and stirred in mayonnaise sauce. Have some melted aspic jelly, just beginning to set, in a deep basin ; pass with a bodkin or trussing needle a piece of string through the top of each Tomato, so that j'ou may dip them into the basin of aspic till they are well coated with it ; lay them on ice, and remove the string when quite cold ; cut little fancy rounds of aspic and lay on the top of each, and on this place a sprig of tarragon which has been dipped into mayonnaise. Cut hard-boiled eggs in quarters, and lay round the Tomatoes, and garnish 74 THE TOMATO. with chopped aspic, with chervil leaves placed at a dis- tance on it, or arranged in a wreath on the chopped aspic. Tomato Timbale. — Boil half a pound of macaroni till tender, but not broken ; strain it and cut into lengths which will fit in a plain mould ; line the mould with it, arranging the top by bending the macaroni in a spiral form. Fill this timbale or mould with a mixture made of one pound of Tomatoes, one pound of mushrooms, and a quarter of a pound of grated Parmesan cheese, all pounded together with four ounces of butter and the yolk of an egg; season with a teaspoonfiil of salt and a grain of cayenne pepper. Put a paper round the mould, leaving two inches standing above the edge of the mould, and steam it for an hour. Turn out and ornament with very small Tomatoes on the top, and serve white mushroom sauce round it. Minced truffles and lobster spawn, rubbed through a sieve and sprinkled all over it, gives it a very nice appearance. Tomato Sandwiches. — Skin the Tomatoes, and cut them in slices ; add a few drops of anchovy sauce, and make into sandwiches. Or the Tomatoes may be skinned and mashed with nfayonnaise sauce, and made into sand- wiches. They can also be made with sliced Tomatoes and grated Parmesan cheese. Tomato Salad. — Choose four round red Tomatoes, throw them into a saucepan of fast-boiling water for two minutes or less, take them up quickly, and throw them into cold water for two minutes. The skin will now quickly peel off. Cut up the Tomatoes in thick rounds, lay them on a dish, sprinkle over a little salt and .sugar, a scrape of onion, and a few drops of salad oil ; then drip vinegar over and serve directly. Tomato Salad (Mrs. de Salis). — Chop up some Tomatoes small, flavour them with a bead of garlic and a shallot chopped up and rubbed through the sieve, which then mix in with the Tomatoes ; add four tablespoonsful of whipped aspic jellies and mix into the puree. Decorate a mould, with hard-boiled eggs stamped out in roiinds or stars, and arrange them in tiers one above another. Be- SIXTY GOOD AND USEFUL RECIPES. 75 tween each layer of eggs jjlace a little chervil leaf and a sprig of tarragon alternately; fill the mould with the Tomato puree, place on ice, and when ready turn out. Garnish with small salad, mixed with mayonnaise sauce round the hase. Arrange watercress prettily on the top, and sprinkle red aspic jelly all over it. Tomato and Onion Salad.— Parboil a large Spanish onion, scald and peel six or eight Tomatoes ; slice them and put them in tliC salad bowl. Add a little chopped parsley, tarragon, and chervil, pepper and salt. Stir in thoroughly some ril, then vinegar to taste. Tomato Paste. — Scald and peel as many Tomatoes as will fill a large stone jar. Set them in a warm oven for an hour, then skim off the watery liquid, press and squeeze them in a sieve ; add salt, cayenne pepper, pounded mace and cloves to your taste ; to every quart of Tomatoes allow half a pint of best vinegar ; stew all slowly for three hours, stirring well until it becomes a smooth thick paste. Then put it into small jars, and cover with egged papers. It is excellent when fresh Tomatoes are not to be had, and is a nice addition to soup. Tomato Marmalade. — Take large and fully ripe Tomatoes, and scald them in hot water, so that the skins can be easily peeled off. Weigh the Tomatoes, and to every pound allow a pound of best sugar ; to every three pounds, the juice of two lemons and a small teaspoonful of ground ginger; then add their juice. Put the Tomatoes into a preserving pan, and crush them with the back of a wooden ladle ; then mix in the sugar, etc., stirring the whole very hard. Set the pan over a moderate fire, and boil it very slowly for three hours, till it is a smooth mass, skimming it well, and stirring it to the bottom after each skimming. When done, put it into jars, cover tightly, and keep it in a dry place. This is a wholesome preserve for children, and the best time to make this is in the month of August. Storing Tomatoes (1). — Make a brine of salt and water strong enough to bear an egg. Select perfectly ripe Tomatoes, and place them without pressing them in a 76 THE TOMATO. stone or glazed earthen pot with a deep plate, in such a manner that it presses upon the fruit, and by this simple process Tomatoes may be stored more than a year without attention. Before cooking them they should be soaked in fresh water for several hours. Storing Tomatoes (2). — Gather a quantity of Tomatoes, and wash, scald, skin, and cut them up. Season them highly with pepper and salt, and put them in a large stone jar. Set this in an oven, and leave it till it is cold. Stir them and set them in the oven every time you bake for several weeks. When the juice is nearly dried up, put a piece of white paper over the jar, melt some lard and pour it on. When you use them, stew them with bread, butter, and water. Tomato Seasoning. — Gather full-grown Tomatoes while quite green. Take out the stalks and stew them till they are quite soft. Rub them through a sieve, and put the pulp on the fire, highly seasoned with pepper, salt, and powdered cloves ; add some garlic, and stew all together till thick. It keeps well, and is excellent for seasoning gravies. Tomato Figs. — Pour boiling water over the Toma- toes to remove the skins; weigh and place them in a stone jar, with as much sugar as you have Tomatoes, and let them stand two days ; pour off the syrup, and boil and skim it until no scum rises. Then pour it over the Tomatoes and let them stand two days as before : boil and skim again. Then place on large earthen plates or dishes, and put them in the sun to dry, which will take about a week, after which pack them down in small wooden boxes, with fine white sugar between each layer. Tomatoes prepared in this manner will keep for years. Tomatoes Dried for Winter Use. — Small-sized but perfectly ripe Tomatoes, washed, scalded, and peeled, and some of the juice squeezed or drained from them. Slice and dry them in an oven just as you would pump- kins, etc. For use soak awhile, then stew and cook as you would fresh Tomatoes. Tomatoes Spiced. — Seven pounds of Tomatoes peeled. Boil together three pounds of brown sugar, one quart of SIXTY GOOD AND USEFUL RECIPES. 77 vinegar, a small handful of cinnamon, a few cloves, and a tablespoonful of salt; pour over the Tomatoes while boiling hot, cover and let all stand overnight, then boil two hours. Tomato Vinegar.— Take one bushel of the ripe fruit, wash and throw them into a tub, and one quart of heavy molasses ; mix and mash well, and let it stand several days, stirring frequently. When a strong vinegar odour is given off, strain the juice off and put it into casks, and let it stand until the process is completed. Vinegar made in, this way is equal to the best, and to succeed in its manufacture it is only necessary to follow out the above simple directions. Tomatoes for Pies. — Pick the Tomatoes green ; scald them and take off the skins. Put them into a preserving pan, and let them boil for half an hour. Cut them up, and put one pound of sugar to three pounds of Tomatoes, and let them cook for half an hour longer. Season them with the juice and peel of a lemon, and put them away in jars. These make very good pies in the winter, and resemble gooseberries. Tomatoes Pickled (1).— Scald and peel green Toma- toes. Lay them on dishes, and strew salt thickly over them. Let them stand twenty-four hours, occasionally pouring off the liquor that the salt extracts. Drain them and gently squeeze them, as it is this juice that weakens the vinegar and makes them spoil. Take a large jar, put in a layer of Tomatoes, then a layer of sliced onions, mustard seed, cloves, and white pepper or whole black pepper, or two pods of red pepper may be broken up and put into a jar. When the jar is full, pour very strong vinegar over, and in a few days they will be ready for use, and will keep all the winter. They should be kept in a dry place. Tomatoes Pickled (2). — Take two pounds of green Tomatoes, pull them to pieces, add two or three onions sliced, and six chillies. Scatter salt over it, letting it stand j&fteen hours, then strain away the liquor, and cover the remainder with good vinegar. Place this in an earthenware jar, and bake in an oven for one hour, and then press pulp into jars. Now take a dessertspoonful 78 THE TOMATO. of mustard and half a teaspoonful eacli of pepper, spice, sugar, cloves, a little cinnamon, and four chillies, adding sufficient vinegar to make this quite thin ; boil it, and pour over contents of jar while boiling hot. If spiced vinegar is used, the raw spices may be dispensed with. Jars to be closely corked, and it is advisable to stir the pickle before using, the hot spices being liable to collect at the top. RECIPES FOR VEGETARIANS. The following recipes (taken from the ^^ Buddhist Diet Book" " Apple Tree Annual" and other sources) were kindly forwarded by Mr. A. Glendinning, Jun. Tomato Soup (1).— Ingredients :— Three lbs. Tomatoes, one onion, two turnips, one stalk of celery, all cut in small pieces and gently boiled for one hour ; then pass through sieve, boil up again, add pepper and salt, one ounce of butter, and a little Worcester sauce. Tomato Soup (2).— Ingredients for this soup are :— One large can or twelve fresh Tomatoes, one quart of boiling water, two onions, a small carrot, half a small turnip, two or three sprigs, of parsley, or a stalk of celery, all cut fine and boiled one hour. As the water boils away, add more to it, so that the quantity may remain the same. Season with one even tablespoonful each of salt and sugar and half a teaspoonful of pepper, cream, a table- spoonful of butter, with two heaping ones of flour, and add enough hot soup till it will pour easily. Pour into the soup, boil all together for five minutes, then strain through a sieve, and serve with toasted crackers or bread. Tomato Soup (3).— Ingredients :— One quart of Toma- toes, two heaping tablespoonfuls of flour, one table- spoonful of butter, one teaspoonful of salt, one teaspoonful of sugar, one pint of hot water. Let Tomatoes and water come to a boil ; rub flour, butter, and a tablespoonful of Tomato together; stir into the boiling mixture, add SIXTY GOOD AND USEFUL RECIPES. 79 seasoning, boil all together fifteen minutes, rub through a sieve, and serve with toasted bread. Tomato Soup (4).— Empty one can or twelve fresh Tomatoes into a quart of boiling water ; boil, strain, add one teaspoonful of soda, one pint of milk, a little butter, pepper, and salt. Let it scald, not boil ; add two rolled crackers. Tomatoes Stewed.— Scald the Tomatoes in hot water, then peel them and cut out the ends ; stew them quickly in a very little water for about ten minutes, then slowly, until done ; season with pepper and salt, and serve hot. Tomatoes Baked.— Cut the Tomatoes in half, pour juice and pulp over some crumbled bread, season with pepper and salt. Pill up the Tomatoes with the mixture, put in a baking dish, sprinkle with crumbs of bread, a little salt and pepper, some bits of butter, and bake. Tomatoes Pried. — Cut ripe or green Tomatoes in two or three pieces, mix a handful of Indian corn meal with some pepper and salt, dip the Tomatoes into it, and fry in butter, with care not to scorch. Lay the slices upon a hot dish, make a gravy of a cup of milk, two teaspoonsful of corn starch, a little butter and salt, and pour over them. Tomatoes with Bread CRUMBS.-^Scald the Tomatoes prior to peeling them, put in stew-pan, with good piece of butter, some pepper and salt, add some bread crumbs, and stew half an hour. Tomatoes au Gratin. — Scald, peel, and slice three large ripe Tomatoes; put into an oval 2-quart tin a layer of tiie slices, strew over these a layer of cracker crumbs, add a pat of butter, salt and pepper to taste, add another layer of sliced Tomatoes, and so on, until the Tomatoes are used. Cover the top layer with a liberal amount of grated cheese, pour in a pint of vegetable soup stock or hot water, and bake fifteen minutes. If too dry when done, add a little more liquid. A good dish for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Tomatoes with Onions. — Take six Tomatoes and two Onions, peel and cut the onions in small pieces, put them 80 THE TOMATO. in a pan with a little water and let them boil until tender, then add the Tomatoes, previously pared, season with pepper and salt, and let them simmer about one- quarter of an hour ; season with butter, pepper and salt. Tomatoes Raw. — Scald to remove the skins, cut in thin slices, sprinkle on them salt, pepper, and vinegar to the taste. Butler & Tanner, The Selwood ranting Works, Frome, and toiidan. ADVERTISEMENTS. IX U -< CO m H O H i CO » o M S3 Z o o X boll 09 s: ^ i 5 i ooo 5 a-3 eg i^ S3 O H boto O ^ o __. u rH p r^ .2 ^ -w >^ ^ a -g Sro2 CO P^ §3Ssi|g= 0^ , U 'a C/3 w « ■si§ «0U O ho O ij -li 5 J. Mg ■s,d ,0 ig b « --s.p-g ta ■d S g .»H?Ko r^ rt 5 3 OifH srS .J3 a o b p- fl o ^ !a o o +3 ■13 as P< , .a a IQ & p o "J CO f*-! Q o ■<3.a O 03 <^ O 3 «a 00 t3 1^1 JAMES BLEZARD & SONS, 1bot*Mater lEnaineere, GUY FOUNDRY, PADIHAM, LANCASHIRE. ADVERTISEMENTS. xiii 19 Certifleates of Merit awarded to W. Wood & Son for their Specialities. SE.A.S01T 13S©. W. WOOD & SON, F.R.H.S. ESTABIiISHEII) 1850. Stores and Works : WOOD GREEN, LONDON, N. ORCHID AND OTHER PEATS, Etc. Best Orchid Peat in Turves (I) cask £0 10 Specially Prepared Orchid Peat (2), free from all waste , 13 Best Hardwood Turves (3) „ 8 Best Soft Turves (4) 7 Loam, Best Yellow Fibrous per sack 3 8 Loam per ton ia truck loads IB Sand, Best Bedford, Coarse per bushel 16 Sand, Best Bedford, Fine „ 10 Sand, Best Reigate „ 13 Sand, Best per ton in truck loads — Leaf Mould I>er sack, 3s. ed. ; 10 sacks 1 10 Shell Shingle per yard, in trucks IS 6 Garden Salt per ton in trucks, delivered 2 Condensed Farmyard Manure, for Potting, Flower Beds, Fruit Borders, Vegetables, etc. ; Amuoitia, Fixeu, equal to six times tiie bulk of ordinary manure per sack, 7s. 6d. ; 10 sacks 2 10 MANURES AND FERTILIZERS. (See also Special Lists.) WOOD & SON'S SPECIAL MANURES. LE FBTTITIBK, the Graduating Fertilizer, per tin, 6d. and 1/3; 71bs.,2/6j lllbs.,*/-; icwt., 10/- per owt. 19 LIQUID MAITTTBE POWDBB, the only perfect stimulaut, per tin, 6d. and 1/6; 71b8., 3/-; 141bs., 5/-; Jcwt., 8/6; icwt., 13/-;percwt. 15 POTATO MANUBS, The Exhibitor's "Suooess," per tin, !(•; 7 lbs., 2/6 ; 14 lbs., 41- i i owt., 9/6 per cwt. 17 6 IiA'WIJ' MABTUBE (Special!, 4 cwt.,8|6 15 FISH POTASH MABTOBB, 4 owt., 7/6 „ IB li G-uano, Best Peruvian, 4 cwt., 12/- „ 110 Bones, Fresh Raw, Crushed, i in. to ^ in., per ton, ; ... „ u 10 4 in. to dust and meal, per owt., 11/6 ; Bone Flour 13 Nitrate of Soda per 28 lbs. 6 Sulphate of Potash „ o 6 o Sulphate of Ammonia ,, 8 Wood and Feat Ashes per sack (i bushels) o 6 o W. W. & S.'s Weed Destroyer, 2/- per gal.; 4 gals., 7/0; 10 gals., at 1/9. W. W. & s.'s Insecticide "Annihilator" Liquid, J pint, 1/3; pint, 2/- ; gal., 10/-. W, W. & s.'s Insecticide "Thanatos" Powder, tins, 4^., l/-, aijd2/6; 7 lbs., 7/-. W. W. & s.'s " Duplex " Powder Distributor, each 2/6. ADVERTISEMENTS. STANDEN'S MANURE. ACKNOWLEDGED to be unrivalled for Efficiency and Economy, as most satisfactory and lasting results follow the application of the smallest quantity. In new and enlarged Tins, Is., 2s. 6d., 6s. 6d., and 10s. ed. each; and in kegs (free), 28 lbs., 12s. 6d.; 561bs..23s.; 112 lbs., 428. each. Sold by all Nurserymen and Seedsmen. (VAPOUR CONE). Nothing can surpass this method for the tota destruction of Insect Fests in Greenhouses. It CAWNOT fail where the tiouses are secure. No possible injury to the most delicate plant. Price 6d., 9d., 1s. 3d., and 2s. each ; cheaper in quantity. CORRY, SOPER, FOWLER & Co., Limited, LOWDOW. TO BE OBTAINED OF ALL SEEBSHEN. Best and Cheapest Manure for Garden Use-NATIVE GUANO. Trice £3 10s. per ton in, lags. Lots under 10 cwt. ,is.percwt.; Icwt. sample bag sentcarriage paidto any station inSnglandonreceipt of a P.O.foros. Extracts from the 13th Annual Collection of Reports :— Native Guano for Potatoes, Vegetables, Fruits, etc. C. FiDLEK, Beading, used it for potatoes, and says : " I found your manure gave very satisfactory results." C. J. Waiie, Gardener to Colonel the Hon. W. P. Talbot, says : " I can strongly recommend your Native Guano as a first-rate manure for any fruits or kitchen garden crops ; also grass. In the five years during which I have freely used it, I have gained over 560 prizes." Native Guano for Roses, Tomatoes, etc. W. G. Bailey, Nurseries, Bexley, used it for roses, tomatoes, cucum- bers, and says : " I find it a good and cheap article." A. F. Baeeon, Royal Horticultural Society, says : " Without doubt a very valuable manure, and easy of application." Orders to the NATIVE GUANO COiVlPANY (Limited), 29, MEW BKIDGB STBEET, BIiACKEKIARB, LONDON, E.G. Wliere Pamphlet of TesJimonm'/S, etc., mai/ be obtained. Aqekts Wanieb. ADVERTISEMENTS . BENTLEY'S WEED DESTROYER, OR GARDENER'S FRIEND, Ta certain destraotion to all Weeds, Moss, Dandelions, etc., so preTa,lent on Garden Walks, Carriagre Drives, Stable and Court-yards, and Railway Stations ; and in addition to its destructive properties, it forms a cleansing solution, leaving the gravelbn Walks and Drives bright and glossy, imparting to them quite a newly gravelled appearance. Bentley's Weed Destroyer is used by most of the leading gardeners, and generally pronounced to be the most effectual and cheapest in the market. Sent Carriage Paid to any part of the United Kingdom in the following sizes : — 6 gals, to make 78 gals, when udzed £0 11 6 12 „ „ 166 „ „ „ 12 18 „ „ 468 „ „ „ 1 12 40 „ „ 1040 „ „ „ 2 17 6 Mawufactuhed only by JOSEPH BENTLEY, Chemical "Works, Barrow-on-Humber, Hull. Mr. S. BURRELLt Head Grardeuei* to H.R.H. the Duchess of Albany ; — " I am highly pleased with the Weed Destroyer, and must say it is about the best thing oi its kind I ever met with." Mr. INGRAM, Read Gardener to His Grace the Oulce of Rutland : — " I am glad to inform you that your Weed Destroyer has completely destroyed the weeds on our gravel walks." Mr. A. SIRCRf Kead Gardener to the Most Noble the Marguis of Northampton : — "Your Weed Destroyer hjis proved very eifoctualj it is economical in price and immense saving in labour." Mr. GEO. HARRIS, Head Gardener to His Grace the Dulte of Northumberland:— *' I know of nothing, in all respects to your Weed Destroyer, for cleaning walks when carefully moistened as directed." BENTLEY'S INSECTICIDE Is the most certain in effect, and safest to use for killing Mealy Bug, Scale Thrip, Red Spider, Caterpillar, Green and Black Fly, and all Parasites by which plants are infested. This luFecticide is altogether free from disagreeable smell, readily soluble in water, and suitable for use in the Conservatory, etc. Bentley's Insecticide is perfectly harmless to the most delicate foliage, requLi'ing no washing off (except in the case of very tender plants). To be had of all Nurserymen and Seedsmen or direct from the JTanii/oetor!/ in the following sizes ; — 1 pint beta., 2/- each. i gal. tins, 5/- each. 3 gals., 8/- per gal. 1 qt. „ 3/6 „ 1 „ „ 9/- „ 6 „ 7/6 „ MAKtTFACTUBEn ONLY BY JOSEPH BENTLEY, Chemical Works, Barro-w-on-Humber, Hull. Mr. W. C. tEACH, Head Gardener to His Grace the Duke of Northumberland :— " I must say your Insecticide is the best I have ever used, being death to all Insect Pests, in fact a real Gardener's Friend.'" Mr. M. T. MAY, Head Gardener to the Most Noble the Margms of Bute .— " I have much pleasure in feying I have used the Insecticide you sent me and found it very ef&cacious." Mr. W. CVLVERWELl, Head Gardener to Sir F. Millbanh, Bart, :— "Your In- secticide is the beat I have ever tried. It does what no other Insecticide does. It lays hold of Mealy Bug at once, without brushing it in; does not harm Gardenias, or other tender plants." .»,„.,,..,■„ ..t Mr. J. ROBERTS, Head Gardener to the Executors of L. de Bothschud, Esq, .— I have formed a very high opinion of your Insecticide, and will thank you to send me another supply as per enclosed order." ADVERTISEMENTS. "POULTBY," Published every Friday, Price One Penny. "POULTRY" contains YaluaWe and Interesting Articles, CONTKIBUTBD BY WELL-KNOWN AND PRACTICAL BREEDERS AND EXHIBITORS, On all topics of interest to those who keep POULTI|Y, PIGEONS, RABBITS, CAGE BII|^DS, CATS, AND OTilER PET STOCK. ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION, 68. 6d. Post Free. 66 99 OrFioE : 171, FLEET STREET, LONDON, E.G. GARDEN-WORK (ILIL.XJST3Ee.A-TEID) . WEEKLY— ONE PENNY. The Favourite Paper of Inexperienced Amateurs, Who desire plain, sound, and practical information in every department of gardening — FLOWERS, FRUIT, & VEGETABLES. EVERY AMATEUR IN TOWN OR COTJlfTEY SHOULD OBTAIN A COPY. " GAEDEN-WOEK " may be obtained of any Bookseller, Stationer, or at any of the Eailway Bookstalls. A FIRST-CLASS MEDIUM FOB AD7EBTISERS. Annual Subscription, 6s. 6d. (;)ffick: 171, FLEET STEEET, LONDON, E.G. Only the best." GARAWAY~& CO.'S SEEDS IRE "THE BEST." Collections containing 1 year's supply for large and small gardens, 10?. 6d. to 63s. Collections, Flower Seeds, Is. to 428. all free. 15 per cent, discount for Gash with order. GARAWAY & CO.'S Hyacinths, TuUps, and all Bulbs are "the best" — HYACINTHS from 12s. per 100. TULIPS from is. per 100. Carriage paid — 15 per cent, discov/nt Cash with order. GARAWAY & CO.'S Roses are "the best"— 100 Dwarf Boses in the best sorts for 35s. ; 50 for 20s., net cash. GARAWAY & CO.'S Fruit-Trees are "the best"— 12 Assorted Dwarf-trained Trees, viz. : — 1 Apricot, 3 Apples, 1 Cherry, 1 Nectarine, 2 Peaches, 2 Pears, and 2 Plums, for 30s. Currants and Gooseberries in all best sorts, 2s. Sd. per dozen, 18s. per 100. GARAWAY & CO.'S Azaleas are "the best"— Well-budded plants in September from 18s. per dozen. GARAWAY & CO.'S Chrysanthemums, 4?. per dozen. Dahlias, Show, Single and Cactus, 4s. per dozen. Zonale Geraniums, all the best kinds from 4s. per dozen. Fuchsias, in the newest and best varieties, 4s. to 9s. GARAWAY & CO.'S Vines are "the best"— Good planting Canes, 4s. each. IP YOU WANT ANYTHING FOB YOUR GABDEN Of the best Quality, write to G^R^W^Y & CO. All the above prices net Cash with order. Catalogues Post Feee on Application. AWAY & CO., Down, Clifton, Bristol. THi BEST TOiflTI SUTTON'S EARLIEST 0] This variety comes in from 8 to 15 day other, and is one of the best Tomatoes for] of doors. Per packet, Is. 6d= and 2s. 6d., SUTTON'S ABUNDj A rnost productive Tomato, of fine shape flavour. Per packet, Is. and Is. 6d., SPTTON^S PERFEC THE BEST EXHIBITION TOf Awarded a Fipst-Class Certiileate byj Horticultural Society. Per packet, Is. 6d. and 2s. 6d,, SUTTON'S SEI kmim only from SUTTON & Ml