Culture and Training.—A convenient, simple, and economical support for the plants may be made from three narrow hoops,—one twelve, another fifteen, and the third eighteen or twenty inches in diameter,—and attaching them a foot from each other to three stakes about four feet in length; placing the lower hoop so that it may be about ten inches from the surface of the ground after the stakes are driven. The adjoining figure illustrates this method of training. It secures abundance of light, free access of air, and, in skilful hands, may be made quite ornamental.
Hoop-training of the Tomato.
Or a trellis may be cheaply formed by setting common stakes, four feet in length, four feet apart, on a line with the plants, and nailing laths, or narrow strips of deal, from stake to stake, nine inches apart on the stakes; afterwards attaching the plants by means of bass, or other soft, fibrous material, to the trellis, in the manner of grape-vines or other climbing plants. By either of these methods, the plants not only present a neater appearance, but the ripening of the fruit is facilitated, and the crop much more conveniently gathered when required for use.
Trellis-training.
The French mode of raising tomatoes is as follows: "As soon as a cluster of flowers is visible, they top the stem down to the cluster, so that the flowers terminate the stem. The effect is, that the sap is immediately impelled into the two buds next below the cluster, which soon push strongly, and produce another cluster of flowers each. When these are visible, the branch to which they belong is also topped down to their level; and this is done five times successively. By this means, the plants become stout, dwarf bushes, not above eighteen inches high. In order to prevent their falling over, sticks or strings are stretched horizontally along the rows, so as to keep the plants erect. In addition to this, all laterals that have no flowers, and, after the fifth topping, all laterals whatsoever, are nipped off. In this way, the ripe sap is directed into the fruit, which acquires a beauty, size, and excellence unattainable by other means."—Gard. Chron.
Varieties.—These are quite numerous. Some are merely nominal, many are variable or quite obscure, and a few appear to be distinct, and, in a degree, permanent. The principal are as follow:—
Apple-tomato.
Apple-shaped.