tered. When the two
first trusses of bloom have expanded over each shoot, the shoot should
be stopped by pinching off the portion which is beyond the leaf above
the second truss, and no more lateral shoots should be suffered to grow;
but the leaves must be carefully preserved, especially those near the
trusses of bloom. The number of shoots on each plant will vary according
to the strength and vigor of the particular plant; but three or four
will be quite enough, leaving about half a dozen trusses of fruit.

"As the fruit ripens, it must be well exposed to the sun. There will be
nothing gained by allowing a great many fruit to ripen. The number above
given will be sufficient, and the tomatoes will be much earlier and
larger than if they were more numerous."

_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.

[Illustration: Hoop-training of the Tomato.]

[Illustration: Trellis-training.]

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.

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 suc