Including also Chapters for Amateurs and the Growers of Fruit for the Markets, an Estimate of Varieties, and a Complete List of useful Receipts. By William Iggulden, Gardener to the Eight Hon. the Earl of Cork and Orrery. Journal of Horticulture Office, 171 Fleet Street, London.

The above title is a comprehensive statement of the contents of this little work on a now very popular product of gardens. We have seldom or never read a similar work with more satisfaction and approval. As is well known, the writer has been a most successful grower of the Tomato at all seasons of the year, as well as one of the most successful exhibitors of them. Like every thing that comes from Mr Iggulden's pen, it is thoroughly practical, and cannot fail to be a most complete guide to those who have not had much experience of keeping up a continuous supply of ripe Tomatoes. We give the following extract on "Successional Crops" as a sample of this useful treatise : -

"Those who are enabled to grow their earliest Tomatoes in beds with bottom-heat are not under the necessity of starting more plants, at all events till some time later, to grow for successional crops; but to keep up the supply where no such accommodation exists, it will be found necessary to sow again early in February. The plants obtained from this sowing, if treated in the same manner as advised for the earliest crop, would be ready to place into their fruiting quarters in about seven weeks. With us, some of this batch, as before stated, are placed in boxes at the coolest end of small span-roofed forcing-houses, and are the first to ripen. Others are placed in similar boxes and grown under the same treatment at the extreme ends of the earliest vinery and Peach houses. It must be understood that, although we have grown large quantities of early fruit simultaneously, our aim is to keep up a moderate and continuous supply in accordance with the available room. We once grew a large quantity in various positions, in a newly-planted vinery; and others may well follow this example without any fear of injuring the Vines. If the produce is not wanted for home consumption, it will sell well in the London markets, especially during May and June. In our case we grew a number of plants singly in 12-inch pots, which were arranged thickly along a strong and high back shelf, a good distance below the wires stretched across the rafters; and were therefore suitable, both for training the Tomatoes down the roof and the Vines up.

The former in this position set their crops very freely, the consequence of receiving abundance of light and air; and when the fruit was ripening, formed a very attractive sight. The pots being exposed to the sun, much water had to be given to the roots - one watering a-day not always being sufficient; yet they were no more trouble than are Kidney Beans and Strawberries when grown in these positions, and are certainly not so liable to leave a legacy of green-fly, red-spider, or mildew behind them. In the majority of vineries it would be difficult to train the plants down the wires; but in many instances, with a little scheming, they might be trained along the back wall.

"Another plan adopted by some gardeners, and which I have also tried with fairly satisfactory results, is to grow a row of plants, either in pots or planted out at the foot of the back walks of vineries and Peach houses : when in the latter, the trees are not grown on the back wall. The situation, however, should the Vines or Peaches overhead be rather thickly trained, is not a very good one. The Tomatoes do not receive sufficient light in this position, as a rule; and to obviate this difficulty somewhat, and also to prevent them, when planted out, from exhausting the borders, we enclosed a space between the pathway and the wall, and above the border level, about 18 inches wide and 3 feet deep, with strong boards. The boards were painted the same colour as the house; and the strong upright stakes to which they were nailed being inside, all unsightliness was avoided. Galvanised wire was stretched across laths nailed to the wall, and to this the Tomatoes were trained. Nailing the plants to the wall would of course be objectionable. Stakes would have answered the purpose; but the wire, after being fixed, is no further trouble, and stakes are not always to be had in quantity. The soil employed was principally obtained from the garden.

To every two barrow-loads of this common garden-soil was added one barrow of turf and manure from an old mushroom-bed, this mixture being considered quite rich enough for the position. When grown in this manner, crowding must be avoided, or very great difficulty will be experienced in setting a crop. The plants should be about 18 inches apart; and if well attended to in watering and disbudding, they will continue fruiting far into the summer - in fact, till those on the walls are, or should be, coming into use. If extra large fruit are wanted, it is advisable to top the plants, and also to mulch over the roots with good manure, and give liquid manure frequently.

"I once obtained an extraordinary crop of fruit from a single plant placed in a large tub at the foot of a flued wall in an early vinery. It was trained on the 'extension system' - that is to say, several main branches were laid in, and wherever there was room a lateral was fruited, each being stopped beyond the bunch of fruit. This plant eventually covered a high wall, and was taken down the wires on the roof about 4 feet. We gathered the first fruit from it only in April, and the last, which formed a good dish at a metropolitan show, in November. Rich food, in the form of liquid manure and top-dressings, was frequently given, but we were well repaid for our care. As a rule, I do not find it advantageous to keep old plants, preferring the extra trouble consequent upon rearing fresh ones, well knowing that these will give heavier crops of fine fruit. Old plants are apt to become unsightly, and a small white fly, Aleyrodes vaporariorum, often takes possession of them, and is with difficulty destroyed by fumigation : young vigorous plants are less liable to be infested with this pest.

"Where the Peach-trees are trained over a circular trellis, and a staging runs round the front of the house, a few Tomatoes may be grown in pots on the latter, and either be trained up the rafters or staked uprightly at about 3 feet apart. No kind of manure, whether in a liquid or solid form, seems to come amiss to the Tomato, provided it is applied sensibly and moderately. One thing is certain - some kind of fertiliser must be used when the crops are heavy, on account of the rapidity with which they exhaust the soil. Those who have the run of a farm may collect materials for making liquid manure of a powerful description. We put about two pecks of sheep droppings, one peck of chicken dung, one gallon of soot, with a smaller quantity of hot-lime, into a coarse-textured bag, which is tied up and placed in an eighteen-gallon butt of soft water. In about a week the liquid manure is fit for use, and one gallon is found of sufficient strength to require diluting with about three gallons of water. The butt is kept filled with water, and the manure continues to be strong for several weeks - much, however, depending upon the quantity daily used.

After a time the bag is pressed whenever the liquid manure is wanted. "Guano, applied with caution, proves a powerful invigorator; but if used to excess it is very harmful in effect. A smallest-sized flower-potful of good guano, well squeezed with the hand in a three-gallon can of water, is a safe quantity to use. A very powerful manure consists of a mixture of one-third of nitrate of soda with two-thirds of superphosphate of lime, used as advised in the case of guano. Clay's Fertiliser, if applied in moderation, is equal in effect to any of the foregoing, and therefore strongly recommended. All that is necessary is to sprinkle it lightly over the soil, and water in - about three applications being sufficient for a crop".