Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1893-02-02
The PRUNING
And Training Of Tomato Plants as Seen
BY the Ohio
Agricultural Experiment station
The staked Plants Ripen Earlier
and Produce FINER Tomatoes.

prepared Exclusively for The Central Press Assoc-
i.iion, ior colnmens, o., By the Ohio Agrieuisnr-
Gardeners are divided In their opin-
ions as to the effect OF pruning and
training or stalking tompto plants. The
majority adhere 10 the belief that to-
mato plants, II allowed to sprawl over
the ground, will yield a larger crop
and quite as early as they will il tied
TO stakes. The Experiment station has
been investigating the matter and has
found that while the total yield is not
increased by pruning and stalking, the
crop natures earlier, and individual
specimens are larger, than when grown
by the ordinary method.
In order to secure the best results
the seed should be sown In hOtbeds or
greenhouses In February or March.
The seed Is sown In shallow boxes,
called fats, and when large enough the
young plants are transplanted into
similar boxes, two inches apart each
way. When transplanted the second
time the plants are set four inches
apart each way. Boxes may be used
as before, or the plants may be set in
beds, or in four-flower pots. The lat
ter plan may appear to have advanta-
ees over the others, but in practice II
is no better, even though the roots are
injured less than when the plants are
set in q bed.
The plants ought to be o foot in
height, and just coming into bloom
early In May, when they are to be
transplanted into the open ground. Il
they are growing too freely root prun'
ing will check them, and If making 9
slow growth little nitrate of soda viii
help them. Ifgrown in flats the plants
may be transplanted to cold frames, o.
even kept out of doors during the
greater part of April. By this mean:
they can be hardened off, which is 1
very necessary operation. 1t is not ,
good plan to set the plants in green
house benches, as they cannot be prop
erly hardened before planting.
When pruned aud staked, tomato
plants will bear much closer plantin,
in the field than If left to themselves
TIVE feet by four is about the prope
distance. AS soon as the plants are Sc
In the field they ought to be tied, il
order to provide for this the following
plan has been found to be satisfactory
Set strong stakes at each end of ever,
row and brace carefully. Smalle
stakes may be set at intervals of tw,
rods along the rows. These stake
should be about three and one-hal
feet in height. Next stretch two wire
of about the size used in baling hay
along the tops of the stakes in eacl
row. Take ordinary lath, or smal
sticks of any kind, of the same lengtl
as lath, and stick one Just at the sid
of the place that each plant is to occu
py. The upper ends of the stakes ar
held in place by crossing the two wire
back and forth; that is, by weaving th
wires around the tops of the stakes o
laths. This makes neat little trillis
sufficiently substantial for one seasol
but the material can be used severa
years in succession.
The plants are trained to singh
stems and tied to the lath supports
Of course tying must be done at sue
cessive intervals as the plants increas
in height, until the top of the trillis i
reached, after which nothing furthe
need be done in the way of training
All side shoots near the ground, ant
suckers, must be kept pinched off, a
the object to be gained in stalking
would be lost otherwise. None of tn
blossoms are to be removed, hut sim
ply the leafy shoots and and suckers
which bear no blossoms and come ou
near the ground, and at intervals along
the main stock. Pruning away thesI
surplus shoots and tying the plants t
supports exposes the fruit to the sun
light and favors early development II
a marked degree. Tomatoes thu
trained ripen about two weeks in ad
vance of those which are allowed to lii
on the ground, are freer from rot anl
larger. The crop per plant is less thar
by the ordinary method, but because
of the higher prices obtained for the
fruit the profits are larger.