The Charlotte Democrat., 1893-03-03

Notes on Tops.to Growing,

For seeurinS the earliest plants hot
beds are aot at all essential In the south,
and they are not used by the best gar
deners, There 10 only one crop tor which
bottom heat 10 found TO be advantageous
In acquiring early plants, namely, the
sweet potato, Well managed cold frames
are all sufieient In growing good peppers,
egg plants aud tomatoes. The main Drop
of tomatoes Ia not planted In the latitude
of middle Georgia (sss) before April 10,
and seeds sown In cold ffames In early
March furnish plants large enough to ses
out bv that date. A small planting Is
usually risked in March, from the 10th
to tho 26th, but this Is generally en-
dangered by frosts. Now and then there
Is no frost severe enough to damage the
plants after March 10, but it will not do
to depend on this. Market gardeners,
after making due preparation for warding
off effects of frost, can plant a patch on
March 25, but without such preparation
the risk Is too great.
A few loads of fine straw distributed
at intervals over the patch of early plant
ings render it easy to protect the plants,
if the gardner is enough OF a meteorolO.
gist to interpret the signs of weather
service warnings. Two or three hands,
men, boys or girls. can cover many thou.
sand plants between three and six o'clock
in the afternoon, if cold wave is threat
ened. With big cotton basket double
handful of straw can be rapidly put over
each plant, and will suffice to protect it
from an average March frost in middle
Georgia. The straw should remain all
A. 81 do nd nj nd
the thermometer and vane indicate
temperature high enough to preclude
frost. In this way we have safely carried
through plants put out as early as March
l. Ordinarily the cold frames are put in
GOOD condition about February 90, some
rood old compost being worked in and
the soil being left in a porous condition.
The rlas- sash is kept in for week be.
tore tho seeds are sOwn, that tho soi'
may become well warmed up. 1t is then
lcvclcd and frmcd, the seeds arc sOwn IN
shallow drills four or five inches apart,
and the soil pressed firmly upon them.
The soil is then moistened with moderate
ly warm water and the sash replaced.
In week or 50 tho plants will be well
up, and in two weeks more large enough
to be transferred to other frames pros
little plants are set 3 by inches apart
and allowed to remain until stocky and
we'll developed for transferring to open
ground This extra transplanting for the
amount Of time involved will pay a tre>
mendous profit in the end.
If by any mischance the plants have
become in any way spindling, it is we'll to
pinch off the ends when transferring to
the open ground. Transferring the plants
with balls of earth is commended. This
is not always practicable; and generally
the roots are dipped in grout of clay
dust and COW manure, to which little
kerosene has been added and we'll stirred
in. The soil is pressed firmly to the roots
and plants set little deeper than they
grew in the beds. For the large growing
sort put the rows four feet apart and the
plants three feet. This gives $500 plants
per acre, which, under favorable condi-
tions, produce 200 to 500 bushels of
merchantable tomatoes.-C CuItiUator.