The comet. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1877-1882, 1880-03-20
Raising Tomatoes for market.


Raising Tomatoes for Market.
AS we have had good many inqui-
rlcs as to our mode of propagating and
marketing tomatoes, we will give our
experience as briefly as possible:
PROPAGATION.
We sow the seed in a hot-house,
about the middle of January, which
is prepared as follows; Take ellrotted
stable manure, and fill your bed to
the depth of five or six inches-it is
better to have it moistened-over this
to the depth of three or four inches,
spread deep rich layer of earth well
pulverized. Sow your seed in this and
cover lightly. Keep covered with
your glass till the seed begin to germi-
nate, which will take six or seven
days. AS soon as your plants come
out of the ground, give them plenty
of sunshine and air, and only keep
covered during cold weather, and
very hard rains. After remaining in
the hot bed three or four weeks, the
plants are transferred to the cold
frame. This is built out of planks
eighteen or twenty inches wide for
one of the sides, and ten inches for
the other-this gives it the right slope
to carry off the rain. The frames are
five feet long and three feet wide, and
are made to fit into the large cold
frame. The frames are covered with
cloth tackled on, and a coating of lin
seed oil, resin and sugar of lead will
make your frames both impervious to
heat and cold, and unless the winters
are very cold, will do in our climate,
in the place of glass. The ground in
the cold frame should be thoroughly
prepared and enriched with some
kind of well decomposed vegetable
matter.
The plants should be planted very
deep in the cold frame, and at least
six to eight inches apart, This gives
your plants plenty of roots and body
to withstand the cold winds they may
have to encounter in the open field.
The frames should not be kepton only
during frosts, and heavy beating rains.
The tomato loves plenty of sunshine
and moisture.
About the first of April, or when
you think there is no danger from
frosts, transfer your tomato plants to
the open field, and plant them out
about three by four feet. The ground
should be well MANFRED and plowed,
and select cloudy or damp day to
plant out.
MODE OF STICKING AND PRUNING.
In transferring the plants be sure
and have plenty Of dirt Oh the roots,
and be careful in handling. AS soon
as planted drive down single stake
and tie the plant to it, and as the plant
grows take out all the suckers, and
the laterals which do not produce
fruit, and when they have grown up
three or four feet take of the top of
the plant. By pruning, you throw
vigor into the fruit, which otherwise
would be taken up by superfuous To-
liage. The pruning system is very
rs the ripening of your
fruit is accelerated at least one or
two weeks by it.
VARIETIES AND SHIPPING.
We have tried all the different varie-
ties, and have found that for market |
varieties there are no kinds better than
the Acme and Halfway. They are
solid and of fine color, and bear ship
ping extremely we'll, which are the
great essentials for marketing and
long distance.
AS soon as the fruit begins to color
III one side, they are ready for ship
Ding, and should be well packed in
bird bushels, discarding all rotten
and those too ripe.
We take the following figures from
'ur books, and what was realized from
bout u half acre in tomatoes last
ear:
Commenced shipping on the 22nd
May; net proceeds S133 II from 1888
ne-third bushel boxes, or an average
f seventy-five cents per box, or 81 25
er bushel. Some of the first sold as I
IGN as 81 % per one-third bushel
OK.