Hilling Up In The Cultivation Of Plants

Fornierly the practice of hilling up in cultivation was ïnuch more comnion than at present. In the case of potatoes it was considered indispensable, on the theory that the hill furnished more room for the tubers to grow in and matrire. Now a inajority of those who havegiven the subject attention consider deep planting and level culture afterward a much better practice than hilling up around the growing plants. There are some who advocate hilling up around tomato plants, beginning as soon as they are a few inches high, and continuing the practice until the plant appears to emerge from the center of a hillock a foot or so high. Observation has shown that the tomato vine, wherever it comes in contact with moist soil, will at once throw out roots from the stem, even though only partly covered, and thns this practice is supposed to strengthen the plant. A correspondent in the New York World writes: "I prefer a short, stocky tomato plant to a long one at any time, and in setting out plants that require support or addition at roots I prefer setting them in a slanting position. by which more of the stem will be covered than when 6tanding erect in the plant bed, and at the same time without burying the main root too deeply. As the plant grows above the surface it will naturally turn upward, nu til by the weight of foliage and fruit all tomato vines, unless supported in some way, will more or less lie upon the gronnd."