The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1875-04-30
Growing Tomatoes.

A correspondent of the Ohio Farmer
gives his experience in growing tomatoes.
which is timely and will doubtless interest
many of our readers. He says: think
the method have practiced in growing
them for the last six years. preferable 10 all
others have yet seen--either in growing
them for market or for family use. By il,
the ripe fruit NAV be obtained very early
in the season, which is All important item
when growing them for market. start
the plants in a hot-bed, putting the seeds
In the earth about the first OF April. After
the plants are through the ground they
should have all the air and sun the weather
will admit of at this season of the year.
This is done TO make them hardy. When
the plants are ten or twelve days old, take
them up and transplant them in the same
bed. setting them little further aDart and
but one in a place. This should be re-
pcated three or four times before setting
them in the open air for fruiting. After
the first transplanting they should be taken
up carefully with the garden trowel. so as
not TO break the roots, and each time set
little further apart. AS the season adj
vances leave the beds uncovered, as much
as the plants will bear with safety. In
this way they become nice. stocky, hardy
plants. often in bloom before their final
transplantinQ in the open air. which il
from the 10Th to the last Of May. growmy
tomatoes in a sunny situation and on a
rich sandy loan. If the land is not ma
nured in the fall of the year, 1t should be
early in the spring. and the ground work
ed over two or three times when IL is dry,
thoroughly incorporating the manure
with the soil and killing the WEEDS.
The plants should be set for fruitng
about 3 feet apart each way, and which
should be done with great care. they being
quite large. As soon as the plants are set
out. place over them a rack or frame. on
which lay few Stats or bits OF board 10
shelter them from the hot sun. The
frames are made az follows: Take four
pieces OF shingling lath or strips of inch
board 3 to 81 feet long for the posts, nail
around one end of them bits OF plastering
iath IL or Is inches long. so as TO form a
square for the top of the frame. Set ont
the bottom ends of the posts 2 TO p feet
apart. Eighteen inches from the bottom
of the posts nail another row OF plastering
latk. In the center between this row and
the top one nail a third row of plastering
lath and the rack is completed. These
racks being much larger at the bottom
end, they stand safely ever the plants
without danger Of being blown down. In
the fall of the year the racks should be
gathered together and put one in the
inside of another and slowed away i'm
a shed or clubhouse, and If so treated will
last n number OF years. In ten or twelve
days after the plants have been set out
for fruitinQ, remove the frames n row at
a time. give the ground good hoeing.
draw little fresh earth around the plant,
set back the frame. and the cultivation is
finished. As soon as the vines are tall
enough they should be drawn out over
the top Of the first row of Stats. When
a few lunches of fruit are formed on the
vines thus drawn over the Stats, the ends
should be pinchcd off, and no shoots
should be allowed 20 grow on them after
the ends are pinched off. New vines will
come up from below, and az soon n they
are tall enough they should be drawn ont
over the second row of Stats. and treated
like the first. In short time other vines
Will reach the top of the rack and should
be drawn over the upper Stats and treat
ed like the Others; after which all shoots
coming out OF the vines should be re-
moved as fast as they appear. BY this
manner of cultivation the fruit is grown
on the outside Of the rack. free from dirt.
and gets plenty Of light and air, In which
situation IL never rots, but ripens up nicely.
Ii the season Is favorable one and the
land rich. four to six pecks of fine ripe
fruit may be obtained from a single plant.
Three years ago, from twelve plants cult
waited In this way and grown on piece of
ground twelve feet square. | sold eight
bushels of ripe fruit, besides keeping
enough for family of three persons.
Should the season be dry one, the crop
may be increased by mulching the land
with straw. After the straw or litter is
put carefully over the land and about the
roots ofplants, in the evening give a good
watering, and the ground will keep damp
under thestraw for weeks. I grow the
"Trorhy." II comes early. Is very pro-
life, and think unsurpassed In quality.