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TOMATO

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Originally appearing in Volume V26, Page 1063 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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TOMATO , Lycopersicum esculentum (Nat. Ord. See also:

Solanaceae), a See also:tender See also:annual, native of See also:South See also:America, probably See also:Peru. The See also:fruit is much esteemed in salads and as a See also:vegetable. Efforts have been made to popularize it for dessert, with varying success. See also:Plants intended to fruit out of doors during the summer should be raised from See also:seed sown at the end of See also:February or See also:early in See also:March, under See also:glass, in a temperature of about 6o°. Pots, pans or shallow boxes are suitable for the purpose. The compost should be See also:light and fresh, preferably of See also:loam, See also:sand and See also:leaf See also:mould in equal proportions. As soon as the See also:young plants appear they should be fully exposed to sunlight, as near the glass as practicable. When the second pair of leaves appear they should be potted singly in pots of about 3 in. See also:diameter, using slightly richer compost and less sand. This operation should on no See also:account be deferred. The next shift should be into pots 7–8 in. diameter, the compost mostly loam, enriched with the ashes of plants, &c., from the refuse heap.

The first See also:

flowers will appear towards the end of See also:April or early in May. The See also:pollen should be gathered and applied to the stigmas of the flowers by See also:hand. The plants should be See also:fit for planting out early in See also:June, and should See also:bear at least two clusters of rapidly growing fruits. They should be planted in the sunniest and warmest position available. It is customary to confine the plants to one shoot, pinching off all lateral shoots as they appear. Owing to the fickleness of the See also:English See also:climate it is of the utmost importance that the setting of fruit should be secured early. Manure should be applied sparingly to tomatoes until the crops become heavy. Under glass, without artificial See also:heat, tomatoes succeed well. In See also:cold, sunless seasons, however, the crops are seldom remunerative. The culture is substantially as advised for out of doors. In heated structures tomatoes may be produced all the See also:year See also:round. They are always a small and See also:precarious See also:crop during See also:winter, however.

During summer the crops are usually heavier and of better flavour, even in favourable seasons, than from out of doors. It is necessary to provide a See also:

succession of plants to replace those that are being worn out by heavy cropping. Periodical sowings are therefore necessary. Some prefer to raise the plants intended for winter fruiting by cuttings inserted in See also:August. Planting out is usually effected on shallow benches in small quantities of moderately See also:rich See also:soil, and the shoots trained on wires near the glass. As more nourishment is required, new soil is added. In this way excessive luxuriance, towhich the tomato is so addicted, is avoided. The plants should never be allowed to become dry—they are large consumers of See also:water. The following varieties comprise some of the best in cultivation: Large Smooth Red Fruited.—The See also:Hastings, See also:Conference, See also:Ham See also:Green Favourite Perfection. Yellow Fruited.—See also:Chiswick See also:Peach, See also:Golden See also:Jubilee, See also:Carter's Green-See also:gage. Early Varieties for Outdoor Culture.-Chemin, See also:Frogmore Selected.

End of Article: TOMATO

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