The Brookhaven leader., 1888-01-05
roaATo CULTURE.
Facts Given by an Experienced
Horticulturist Which Lincoln
County Truck Farmers Should

County Truck Farmers Should
Know.
There are two or three matters ODE
closely watched while Tomato plants
are in the cold frame. The first of inn
portance, that the plants not he al
lowed to grow too spindling. The
Dutchman's idea of a model woman.
dot she shoOds be low down and
wide out" is a good one as to the
make of the tomato plant-heavy
shanks and broad tops. Whenever 1T
is discovered they are spindling it il
better that they be taken up and re-
set 1t is claimed 10y some that this is
best at all events, claiming they are
made more stalky by the change i'll
re-setting. Our experience is not
fully in accord with this position. We
think most years the rcsetting is UNI
necessary work. Some years we were
forced to reset owing to the warmth
of weather, others We have not. The
question naturally arises, which plants
did best as to crop, those that were re-
set or those that were not 2 Our an
swer is, we have seen no difference
unless in favor of those that were not
reset, especially as to the earliness of
fruit. The main point to be observed
is to give the plants enough space in
the first setting, that resetting may be
obviated. The plants will not spin
die if sufliciency of space is given
them. If the cost of time in resetting
should be expended in building more
cold frame and giving the plants more
space in the first setting, it will prove
more economical than the prartice of
setting close together the first time
and afterwards resetting. This is
certainly our experience. 1t is claim
ed by some that resetting makes the
plants bear a heavier crop. This
again has not been confirmed by our
experience. THERE'S another thought
sometimes advanced, that the plants
must he of certain age before they
will fruit. This idea among our
growers has been completely explod-
ed by actual facts. OF course there
must be some age, but not as much as
many have supposed. Plants can be
forced. We would as soon have plants
from seed sowed on first day of Feb
ruary as to have those from seed SOW
ed on the first day of January, if we
can have the construction and manage
ment of our cold frames. Yes, sooner,
as it would require much less labor
and anxiety to accomplish the same
end, the maturity of an early crop for
market. The last days of January
and the first days of February are
early enough if the hot-bed and cold
frames are properly constructed and
well managed. We mean as to our
locality or latitude. Our growers are
usually in too great hurry in this
matter. The planting for early mar
ket, is like a contagion. Ii one. party
sows and it is reported, all soon fol-
low, and yet at the cost of labor and
anxiety. We have seen, however, in
more instances than one, when most
growers had sOwed from the 10th to
the goth of January, one man sOwed
on or about the 9TH of February and
brought among the earliest boxes for
shipment. There is another matter
of Importance in the management of
plants. Whenever they reach "A good
size they should be hardened in order
to prepare them for the change of
going into the open field. This is
done by exposing them to as much
cold weather as they can we'll stand
short of actual damage. They should
be left uncovered every day unless
the thermometer falls below As de-
grecs, and also at nights if there is no
prospect Of frost. This is a matter
that taxes the patience of every
grower. He must be on the alert lest
his plants be placed at either ex-
IRENE, too hot to make them grow too
tenderly, or too cold to cause them to
suffer injury.
The question often asked " What is
the best fertilizer for tomatoes p This
We answer as to our own experience.
As growers we have tried almost
everything, generally used in growing
various vegetables, and have finally
reached the conclusion, that no fertili-
ger which contains a great deal of
ammonia is well adapted to the tomato,
either for large crop or for early
market purpose. We admit that there
must be certain amount of ammonia,
and after testing closely for number
of years, that as good fertilizer as
any is compost made upon the plan
of Furman's Formula. The impress
ion seems to have gotten abroad that
cotton seed meal alone is about as
good fertilizer as any used. This is
q mistake. The defect of this as a