Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-12-07
Farm AND ORCHARD.
DEVELOPMENT OF THE TOMATO IN
THIS COUNTRY.
Prof. Meehan on Success In Transplant
ing-Blanching Celery-General
Farm Notes.

The tomato (Lycopersic'in1 escutentGn') is a
native of South America. 1t was intro
duced into England in 1896, where it was
grown for ornamental and medicinal pur-
poses, as the Glove apple" Parkinson, in
1929, first speaks of its being used as a
food in the hotter parts of South America.
Italy was the first of the European coun-
tries to use it as a vegetable, but it was
followed by France and England, though,
as the climate of the latter country is not
favorable for its outdoor culture. it is
grown under glass. As late as about fifty
wears ago. there were only four varieties
cultivated in the United States, viz, two
with cherry-like fruit, one red, the other
yellow, and two with small pear-shaped
fruits of similar color. Most of the lus-
cious varieties which now grace our tables
are introductions of quite recent date, and
there still remain examples of the unreal
sonable prejudice, which for so many years
retarded the improvement and general use
of the tomato. At first the fruit was only
eaten generally after having been picked
or preserved, but it has gradually risen in
public estimation, till at the present time
It has such considerable importance, not
only for use in the raw state, but for can
ming, catsup, ETC., that many thousands of
acres are devoted to its culture.
The tomato is so peculiarly adapted to
growth in California that on many of the
foothill slopes of Los Angeles, Ventura
and Santa Barbara counties, it has become
naturalized, and acres of them may be
seen growing luxuriantly, though the
plants receive no culture, and frequently
no water, except through the atmosphere,
from the termination of the seed till their
death. Though these wild plants retain
their vigor and size, the fruits have all
returned to their original cherry FORMS
retaining, however, most luscious flavor
Tomato culture has not received the at
tention in California that its Importance
merits, and in consequence our store
shelves are loaded down with Eastern
canned and bottled goods, while good
fresh tomatoes frequently come so high IN
our retail markets that many are debarred
from using them. The type Of tomato al
present sought alter, grows on a stout
bushy plant, which ripens early in abun'
dance of medium-sized, bright red, pur'
plish or yellow fruit, with small seeds
thin, smooth skin, and symmetrical out
line. As no material advancement has
been made in varieties for several years
it has been thought that perfection had
been reached, but this is doubtful.
The seed should be saved from the I'm.
est specimens, growing on vines of good
habit, and which have produced only fruit
of regular size and symmetrical outline
Great care should be taken to keep the
seed in perfectly dry place, as they are
very susceptible to moisture. After the
seeds have gone through the winter season
in the wild state, l have calculated that
only one in 1000 terminates, while under
cultivation at least IS per cent. would
grow. The seeds may be planted almost
any time during the winter or early
spring, in prepared sheltered beds or
frames, according to the locality. Scatter
them broadcast, cover lightly and keep the
soil moist, not wet. When the second
leaves develop, pick off the plants into
shallow fats, with room for fifty or one
hundred plants in each. These can read
lily be carried and distributed about the
field when ready for planting. The vari-
cites most generally grown in California
are the Trophy, Early Conqueror and
Livingstone's varieties, Perfection, Favor.
lite and Beauty. The ground should be
thoroughly prepared, fat or ridged, with
sufficient room allowed for horse cultiva-
ton. 1t should not be too rich, or vines
will be produced at the sacrifice of the
fruit. | have been the most successful
when setting the plants firmly with water
in the evening or on cloudy days, and
have had the best success when planting
was done on the sides of double furrowed
ridges.
Irrigation is only advised in extreme
cases, as ordinarily, intelligent cultivation
will be all sufficient. If, however, irriga-
ton has been once commenced, it must be
kept up to get the best results. The
warmer and drier the soil, within reason,
the quicker the fruit will ripen. Bright
red is the color most preferred for market
ing purposes. The greatest care is neces-
sary in picking and packing. Inremoving
the fruit from the vines, it should, for the
home market or for canning, be well col.
ored for distant markets, the diffuse color
should lust be discernible. In any case
they should not be bruised or injured al
the stem. For any market they should
be carefully assorted in size and color, and
hacked with the apex outward In small
boxes. For home use 1t is well to train
the vines upon low, slanting trellises. To
matoes can readily be grown from cuttings
when kept close with bottom heat. Some
times Chinese gardeners in the southern
counties, on the approach of frost, cut of
the vines and cover up the stubs with ole
sacks until all danger from cold has
passed. 1t is well to nip out the top O
the plants before blooming, to make them
stout, and perhaps by retarding theil
vigor, produce fruit sooner.-Essdy pre-
pared by Emory E. Smith for State BOdrc
OF Horticulture.
SUCCESS IN TRANSATLANTIC.
The following notes on transplanting by
Professor Thomas Meehan, of German
town, Pa, in Country Gentlemen, are worthy
of careful thought
sFew stop to consider that tree trans
planted is very little more than cutting
The roots we take with the tree are not o
great Importance in themselves. Root!
once formed, draw IN moisture to some ex
tent. A cutting without any roots at al
put into a bottle of water will draw ii
water to some extent, but this is only
when in direct contact with water, and il
does not last long as a general thing. Ii
the ground it is different affair. There
is no water there but moist air only, anC
the water, or juices in the plant, must b.
49,, ;,fo the ulant hV root hairs which
form the LIQUID out of this moist air
These root-hairs are only on the tips o
the growing roots, so that we want 8
growth of these white, hair-tipped tber'
as fast as possible to insure any great meas
ure of success in transplanting. The big
gest mass of fbrous roots we can imagine
to any tree is of no material consequence
unless it throws out at once young white
6bers with root hairs. Indeed some won
derment is often INDUCED in that tree
Ell ;,,r,snss masses of fibrous roots die