The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1878-08-08
FARM TOPICS.

THE WAY TO RAISE TOMATOES
There are a great many persons who
cultivate the tomato in their gardens,
and have never yet learned the true Sc
cret of doing it well. | was formerly
in this crowd, myself. At first | let
them grow as they liked, falling down
and spreading over the ground like
vine. They never lasted through the
season in this condition The fruit that
lay upon the earth rotted, or was prey
ed upon by slugs, worms and mice.
Then l raised them above the ground
by laying down posts or scantling, and
covering with lath, old pickets, or strips
of boards This was better, but was
not satisfactory. Somebody recon-
mended that they should be trained on
stakes, a stalk TO stake. This was
still an improvement so far as the fruit
was concerned, but it did not come up
to the standard. Now | will tell you
what that Isl Set your plants in a row
or rows, if you have so many, say IL to
"a inches apart Then put in two stout
posts at the ends Then strain galvan-
lied or other wire upon these posts so
as to get about four on them one above
another. If your posts are some dis
lance apart, set stakes with crow bar
along betweens drive nail at the level
of the wire, on which the wires should
rest and be fastened, and as your plants
come forward, tie them to your wires.
Ii too luxuriant, trim off the superhuous
branches. You will be astonished at
the results of this treatment. Your fruit
will be in profusion, large in size, and
sound. Such a trellis makes a g sight
to behold.'' What is more, your plants
will continue to grow and produce until
the frost interferes. 1t is the only true
way of growing tomatoes, and when
you have tried it once, it will argue i'm
mense shiftlessness on your part ever to
be satisfied with any other mode of cul-
tivation.- Country Cent? man.
CURING SIrTERs Our plan of cur
ing sitting hens of their brOody pro-
pensities is somewhat different from the
old lady who cured her hens of the roup
by wringing their necks. That will, no
doubt, effectually remove the disease,
but will soon reduce the size of the flock.
The idea of dueking a poor broody hen
to make her stop her clucking and moth
erly propensities is about as absurd and
useless as putting their heads under their
wings, or whirling them around until
they are almost senseless, and then
fiinging them over the fence to medi-
tate on their past iniquities. There are
others who yoke up their broody hens
the same as many do the geese they
wish to keep from going through the
fences. The plan may be highly orna-
mental and diverting, yet it is rarely
productive of the desired result. These
are mostly the plans resorted to in "ye
olden times" when dung-hil fowls,
whose powers of endurance were of the
highest order, were the rule and pure
bred fowls the exception. There is far
more sensible, as well as effectual, plan
now in vogue, and that is to put all the
broody hens into commodious coop
those hens you do not wish to set-put
a Young, active csckerel in with them,
and they will ere long forget their broody
ways.-Potsltry World.
FRAUD IN FERTILIzERs.-American
farmers are quite as shamefully victim
lied by manure dealers as those who
live in the Old World. Professor 5. w.
johnson, director of the Connecticut
experiment station, in his recently is
sued annual report, exposes the worth
lessness of certain so-called fertilizers
which he has examined. He obtained
samples of the fertilizers sold by one
firm at S32 ton, and found by analy.
sis that they were worth less than 81
per ton. 1t was afterwards discovered
that the firm was merely engaged in bar