The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-05-09
Tomato Culture in the South
He CHECK ROW PLAN.

THE CHECK ROW PLAN.
There are two distinct methods in grows
ing tomatoes. and it depends upon the ma
turs of the soil which will prove the most
satisfactory.
II the soil is level and allows of being
plowed both ways without increasing it,
liability to wash the check row plan is bets
ter as the crop can be more economically
cultivated than when planted in rows that
allow Of cultivation only one way. Very
little hoeing, of course, is call for when
plow cultivation can be given b 9th ways
In preparing the soil for the check row
plan it is first flushed, and then whatever
fertilizer is used is spread evenly broadcast.
and then the soil is thoroughly narrowed.
Then burrows are laid off one way SO or
feet apart for the large growing sorts, or
feet or even Pa for the dwarf growing va
rieties. This furrow 1t is well to subsoil il
the subsoil is of a tenacious character and
needs to be loosened up. Then list up IN it
that is. run furrow on each side of it.
These burrows may also be subsoil. This is
all that is necessary to be done prior to
transpiantlng. When the time comes for
setting; out the plants-in March, April or
May, as the case may be-furrows are laid
off az right angles to the first furrowlng-
that, is across The first rows at a distance Of
3 or feet-according to the variety. A
plant is set at ench intersection Of the fur
rows. If the the plants are set 2115x215 feet
it will require $500 plants to set an acre; if
3x3 feet, 4, $40, and if AKA, ?. 722.
Varieties like the dwarf champion will
readily allow of being planted 219x213 feet,
each vine doubtless producing a maximum
yield at this distance. Still we think dis
lance Of 3x3 feet or 3x215 is to be preferred
as cultivation, and gathering is then moro
satisfactorily done.
The large growing sorts-Ponderosa,
Paragon. Perfection, Acme. and the like,
should have distance of Aka, on some soils
5x4, perhaps little better. This latter dis
lance would allow of only 2, 179 plants.
1t setting out the plants get them about
an inch deeper than they grow in the seed
beds. Press the soil firmly to the roots, and
leyel the soil about the plants In passing.
CULTIVATION.
In the course of ten days, or perhaps in
less time, the plants will have taken firm
hold upon the soil. Run around them one
way with the harrow or sweep. After the
next rain, or in the course of five or six
days If it does not rain, run around them
the opposite way. When the plants have
attained hight of Is or IS inches break out
tne middles with single or double shovel,
nrst one way and little later the other
way. After this uss the harrow OF sweep
10 Keep the crust broken and all spontaneous
growth in check.
There are many varieties of tomatoes that
may be counted on to yield peck of fruit,
from first to last, whether the number per
acre is2 100 or 3,000-that is on soil naturally
adapted to the tomato or made so by the
application Of suitable fertilizer and in
suitable quantity.
how large quanty of tomatoes single
'lue may be made to produce we DO not
know, but we do know that many a time
we nave gathered more than peck from
OIL gle Ylnes-that is peck of merchsntable
oHatoes In the several pickings from July
l 10 Aug 49,
When the Trophy was first introduced
along In the '7Us-we had thirty vines
staked and highly tended, from which we
Kept an account Of eleven bushels gathered
Atob 10 ldSC.
some ten or twelve years we grew a
,enth OF an acre Of tomatoes after the fol-
lowing plan, which proved in the highest
uegree successful: A very productive va
rely, similar to the Dwarf Champion, was
crown by making hills Aka feet apart,
SuecKed at this distance. A stake was
uIEen firmly in each check, and about this
oIake IN triangle three plants were set
b hoout y inches from plant to plant. Just
eeIore the plants became too top heavy to
"a. .au over strong baud was drawn about
eIe vines just below the first cluster of fruit,
,Sulcn Kept them from falling over. A little
ia'eT after additional growth, another
4 sauu was placed 10 or Is inches higher. and
..LnaAy third band was placed still higher,
is ue END OF which was drawn tight and
.Oopeu over the top OF the stake. From
assauy OF these hills as much as three pecks
~ H'erchantable tomatoes were gathered
tll Ii ing the season-July to Aug. 80. From
~ @'O nils thus planted over 100 bushels
~ tomatoes we're gathered, and that, too,
ho ter considerable depreciation from the
~ ~. worm, which was very destructive at
~ ~ tlhe-and is always more or less so.
aIoh rot or blight the aggregate loss did
teV 4. amount to one bushel. OF course most
ro. sne tomatoes punctured by the boil worm
~ lo.'sl, out from blight or rot per Sc, the
t - uiu not amount anything at all. Since
sHoV VINE we have made small paintings
tiou. '--N a. 1'0 WIN '0''0'''O
we commend this plan to market garden