GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE PLANT
23
from starvation. From Philasouthward delphia gardeners expect that spring set thus exhaust themselves and die by late will plants summer, and they sow seed in late spring or early summer for plants on which they depend for late summer and fall crops. Under some conditions, particularly in the Gulf states and in California, tomato plants will not only weaker
grow
until they die
to a
much
tinue to thrive
greater size than normal, but will confruit for a longer time. Such
and bear
a plant grown in Pasadena, Cal., was said to have been in constant bearing for over 10 months. Again, sometimes plants that have produced a full crop of fruits will start
new
sets of roots
and leaves and pro-
duce a second and even a third crop, each, however, being produced on new branches and as a result of a fresh set of roots, those which produced the preceding crop having died and disappeared. The period of development, 85 to 120 days of full sunshine at a temperature above 75
F.,
The
has been given.
sunshine and high temperature are essential to such rapid development, and in so far as there is a full
from clouds or shade, or the day tembelow perature 75 F. the period will be lengthso that in the ened, greater part of the United States the elapsed time between starting seed to ripened fruit is usually as much as from 120 to 150 days and often even longer. Characteristics of the root. The roots of the tomato plant, while abundant in number, are short and can only gather food and water from a limited lack of sunshine falls
area.
A
plant of garden bean, for instance,
is
not