AGRICULTURE REPORT - Growing 'Love Apples,' Better Known The
AGRICULTURE REPORT - Growing 'Love Apples,' Better Known 1 These Days as Tomatoes
By Mario Ritter
Broadcast: Tuesday, October 18, 2005
I'm Shep O'Neal with the VOA Special English Agriculture Report.
Plant scientists consider them fruit. Most other people think of them as vegetables. Whatever you call tomatoes, there are many different kinds of this popular and healthy food.
Each plant can produce about four to seven kilograms 2 of fruit. Growers can harvest a big crop with little space. Full plants with fruit take about eighty days to grow from seed. Cold weather can damage young plants, so they are often grown inside for four to six weeks.
A tomato plant can grow several thick stems 3 from its base. Only two or three stems should be kept. From the stems come smaller growths 5 called suckers. New suckers that grow between the stems should be removed. There should be a full meter between plants with three stems, a little less for plants with two stems.
There are two general groups of plants. Small tomato plants grow to about one meter. They can be planted rather close together. Some short kinds do not require special care and are often harvested by machines.
Large tomato plants can grow over two meters tall. They also provide larger fruit. These plants need support. One method uses wires run along both sides of a row of plants. The wires help hold the suckers and fruit. The wiring is secured 6 to strong posts on either side of the row. The wires are raised as the plants and fruit grow.
People who grow only a few plants can place wire cages around each one. The cage can be made of wire fence 7 material. The cage helps the plant grow taller and to produce a bigger crop.
Tomatoes often need extra calcium 8 or the fruit may be ruined. Adding lime 9 to the soil can prevent this problem.
Dry conditions may also ruin fruit. Tomatoes need water regularly 10. The soil should never dry out completely 11. Dried grass or leaves placed around the plant can help hold water in the soil and control the growth 4 of unwanted plants.
Tomatoes are native to South America. The tomato is a member of the potato family. The leaves of the plant are poisonous, like the leaves of its relatives. Before the middle of the eighteen hundreds, people grew tomatoes only as pretty plants. They called the bright red fruit a "love apple," but would not eat it.
The Web 12 site of the Cooperative 13 Extension 14 Service at North Carolina State University has more information about growing tomatoes. The address is c-e-s dot n-c-s-u dot e-d-u (ces.ncsu.edu).
This VOA Special English Agriculture Report was written by Mario Ritter. I'm Steve Ember.
- He is a known artist.他是一个知名的艺术家。
- He is known both as a painter and as a statesman.他是知名的画家及政治家。
- 2 kilograms of rice 2公斤大米
- Every tonne of coal contains,on average,30 kilograms of nitrogen. 每吨煤平均含30公斤氮。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- The present wave of strikes stems from discontent among the lower-paid. 当前的罢工浪潮起因于低工资雇员们的不满情绪。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- Her interest in flowers stems from her childhood in the country. 她对花卉的兴趣产生于她在乡下度过的童年时代。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- All living things depend on the sun for their growth.万物靠太阳生长。
- Youth is the time of physical growth.青年时期是长身体的时期。
- Nails are thin horny growths at the ends of the fingers. 指甲是生长在手指头尖端的细薄角质物。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- Crown galls are cancerous growths composed of disorganized and proliferating plant cells. 冠瘿是无组织的正在不断增殖的植物细胞所组成的癌状物。 来自辞典例句
- They put a fence around the garden.他们在园子的周围建起了篱笆。
- The thief jumped himself over a fence and escaped.贼纵身跃过篱笆逃走了。
- We need calcium to make bones.我们需要钙来壮骨。
- Calcium is found most abundantly in milk.奶含钙最丰富。
- Lime exists in many soils.许多土壤中都含有石灰。
- A broad avenue of lime trees led up to a grand entrance with huge oak doors.一条栽有酸橙树的宽阔林阴道通向巨大的橡木门的雄伟入口。
- Check the engine oil level regularly.要时常检查机油量。
- We meet regularly to discuss business.我们定期会面讨论事务。
- She never completely gave up hope.她从不完全放弃希望。
- I feel completely in the dark on this question.这件事使我感到茫然。
- The spider weaves a web.蜘蛛织网。
- You mean the World Wide Web?你是说国际互联网?
- The workmen are very cooperative,so the work goes on smoothly.工人们十分合作,所以工作进展顺利。
- We decided to set up a cooperative.我们决定开办一家合作社。