The Garden Under Glass

182 THE GARDEN UNDER GLASS leaves and are easily distinguished from the flower clusters which form on the stem some distance from the leaves. The pinching should be continued throughout the life of the tomato. It is usual also to pinch out the point of the plant when it has attained a height of about five feet. By this time it will have set many clusters of fruit, and the aim will be to divert the energies of the plant to the swelling and ripening of these fruits. One stake to each plant will be sufficient, and to this the growing point must be fre-quently tied. There is a disagreement among growers as to the advantage of shortening the leaves of tomatoes during growth. Personally I do not believe in the practice except as a means of exposing the fruit to the ripening in-fluence of the sun. As the season advances the period of sunshine becomes less, and then it is an advantage to cut oft any leaves which prevent this being fully utilised. Although it is not absolutely necessary to fertilise tomatoes artificially it is an advantage to run over them at noon, touching each flower with a rabbit’s tail. This takes but a moment of time, and the resulting fruits are likely to be of better shape. Top-dressing Tomatoes If the plants have been treated as advised they will by the end of May have filled the soil with roots. They will also have set several clusters of fruit. It will now be safe and necessary to top-dress them with soil richer than that in which they were planted. This may consist of two parts soil similar to that in which they were planted, one part leaf-soil, and one part mushroom manure. Shift the boards back three inches each way, fix them firmly in place and put in the soil at the rate of a pailful to each plant. This should be rammed quite firm. The old soil