The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-05-23
Tomato Culture in the south.
THE DOUBLE ROW PLAN

A DOODLn EhOW FLAN.
Take the country over there is no vegeta-
bic more generally cultivated than the to-
mato. From the smallest home garden.
with its several hundred square feet of
arabic soil, up to the immense truck fields
of the south and west the tomato has a due
proportion OF soil set apart for its culture.
In the one these may be only a dozen plants,
and In the latter its so or 100000. For the
Irish potato a greater acreage may be
claimed, but there is no greater care or in-
terest manifested in its culture than the toa
mato receives. The one is staple article
OF food capable of alone sustaining life for
a considerable time, while the tomato, like
the strawberry, may be regarded simply as
luxury, going a very little ways, I'M
aided, toward maintaining the material
man. Used to a reasonable extent it con-
duces to the health Of man; to excess it may
and often does, no doubt, promote disease
In some bodies. Do not get alarmed, dear
reader, lover" Of tomato that you are.
There is nothing under the sun so good and
harmless that may not be made harmful TO
some. The purest water that ever gushed
from mountain or spring, or the purest
eaten to excess. We have always accepted
the doctrine of the homeopathists-simi lila
s1mlllbus curantur-that like cures like
that what will cure disease in a sick body
will cause that disease in a well body.
Many years ago before the tomato had
won its way to the position it now holds as
table vegetable-to be enjoyed at break
fast, dinner and supper with all due appre-
citation between times, too, it was regarded
as silver medicine"-ao;ually regarded as
poisonous il used too freely. 1t acts also
upon the kidneys. Time has developed the
fact that where used reasonably it has, like
many other vegetables decided medicinal
effect for good. Some evil consequences
may follow the excessive use Of 1t.
However, this is not what we started out
to discuss here, but to describe a second
mode Of planting the crop that has always
given satisfaction. Some OF our readers may
have observed the plan already, to others
the suggestion may be new. We have
referred to the check row plan which can
be observed with advantage on all soil suf-
ficiently level, and also briefly to the plan
of setting three plants in hill where the
hills are made a good distance spart-4x4
or SKIS.
The double row plan consists merely In
having two rows close together, with plenty
of distance between each set of rows. a plan
of growing corn quite popular some years
ago, and styled the "Hardaway plan"
The soil being flushed, fertile, rigid and
narrowed, is laid off as follows: The first
two rows are laid off with scooters with a
distance Of "A or 80 inches between them
between the second and third row, a dis
lance OF 4 feet is given; between the third
and fourth rows "a or 30 inches, aud so on,
every other middle embracing feet and
the other 2 feet, say. Just prior to setting
out the scooter burrows are listed on with
the same scooter. In setting out, the soil of
this light list is depressed with the foot and
plant set In each track at distance in the
row Of "a or 30 inches. Not one plant in 100
will fail TO live if there Is any moisture in
the soil and the soil is pressed firmly to the
roots in transplanting. What is the object
in observing such plan? By one means or
another 1t allows of the vines being sup
ported and the fruit kept from contact
with the soil.
For the mediunl-siZed tomatoes, any as
large as Paragon, 2 feet is wide enough for
the narrow rows. About the time the first
blossoms appear these narrow mIddles are
well broken with shovel, and little later on
after the fruit has become well set the last
stirlin of this middle is done with the
sweep or harrow. AS the vines become top
heavy from the accumulation of fruit they
should be turned toward each other along
the narrow middle. BY observing a certain
amount of care as the ripe tomatoes are
gathered the vines can be made to support
each other in such way az to keep the
fruit almost entirely from the ground.
Where pine or other brush is handy some OF
it can be laid along the middle just before
the vines begin to fall over, and they will
be supported by the brush. Or stake can be
driven down every 8 or 10 feet between these
narrow rows and a small rope or wire run
from one to the other can be used as sup
port for the vines. Where several acres are
cultivated this is the most economical plan
possible to keep the vines off of the earth.
A trial of the plan will convince any onein
little while that 1t is the most available.
1t certainly pays to keep the vines from be-
ing beaten to the ground by heavy rains.
Using medium sized tomatoes with rank
growing vines an acre will readily support
$500 vines-of those with dwarf vines be-
nd