The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1880-12-22

Take the cuke in the hand and with
thumb and finger close up to the
stem where il joins on, you can pull
is off about as well by being careful
not to pull the vine too hard. just
after rain or shower it will be nee
essary to wash them which can be
rapidly done in large trough or
tub. You can pack or crate as soon
as picked. Lay them in carefully
and as close and compactly as possi-
BILE being careful to keep the greenest
side out as it shows better through
the craze. When they are scarce
they sell from So to S. per crate, but
rapidly decline when the crop COM
mences going in freely the bulk be-
ing marketed from 81 to $3.50 per
crate sometimes running as low as
so cents. When it runs less than 81
you can reckon on dead loss to the
raiser, often compelling him to pull
money out Of bis pocket TO help pay
freight and commission, thus reduc.
ing the profit On his few early crates.
The white spine is the kind almost
universally used.
Tomatoes come next and here let
the beginner go slow until he has
some experience, as there is more ex-
pense attachedto this crop than either
OF the others. The plants are usually
started il seed4beds in January, some
in February, and occasionlly you find
one who gets them growing in De-
cember. II you have hammock land
or groves where you can pick out
spots protected from frost, here is
where to start your plants; lacking
this, cold frames covered with COM
mon cotton domestic, will be the
next best I get plank about one
inch thick, twelve or fifteen inches
wide, make 3eds with them little
less than Six feet wide; then the do
mestic three feet vide. two widths
issewed !. tegie' 81 s. ~ cover. ~ Asaakf
| 'SRe oees=Fas long as you wish let
them run east and west; tack one
edge Of you cover on the north side
and sew loops along the other which
can catch over nail when you wish
to cover | never cover unless | fear
frost, but keep my plants as hardy
and stocky as possible. Fertilize
your seed-beds well and sow your
seed in rows about three inches apart
pretty thick; when three or four
inches high, transplant into beds
about three inches apart each way,
and then when they begin TO crowd
transplant again from four to six
inches; the wider apart the bet
ter the plants, but it takes up more
room If you are planting largely
you will fud a force pump and hose
very handy and economical but il
on a smaller scale a watering pot
holding three or four gallons will do.
A mere sprinkling will not do but
give your plants a good drenching
every two or three days 1t is well TO
have the surface of your beds covered
with fresh or new soil just from the
woods-hammock if possible-it will
not bake or get hard. Most any
fertilizers | ever tried done well with
tomatoes. Four by four feet will be
found good distance TO plant, es.
pecially il your land is in good con.
dition. Lay off your land each way,
drop your fertilizer in the check and
have men follow with the hoe and
and mix up well with the dirt. Cot.
ton seed meal, small handful in
each hill, will be found good, and il
you could turn unuer crop OF COW
peas the tall previous it will be found
beneficial. Ii you have stable ma
nure sboveltul to each hill will be
found excellent. Cultivate well and
keep the ground loose and mellow
until the vInesru SO as TO stop work
Pick just as the tomato is turning
wrap in common brown wrapping
paper, pack close SO as you have tc
press down considerably TO get tn,
Stats nailed on. The paper gives
some and keeps the tomato iron
mashing, unless they are quite large
We usually wrap two together, put
ting the stem ends together and com
mence at one corner OF the paper
and as you roll it up keep the toma
toes pressed together, and by The
time they are rolled up they tee az
solid as Ii they were one tomato
J then double the ends OF your paper