The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-02-11
Tomato Cuiture--BOyv to Grow Large
Crops or Small Areas.


The writer has grown a good many
crops of tomatoes in the past twenty
years. ana has observed several modes
OF culture. but Of these three or four modes
he has never been able 10 reach a conclu-
sion rs to which one was the very best
II depends TO a considerable extent upon
the character of the soil to determine this
question.
On soil specially adopted TO tomatoes
the following plan has the preference
where less than an acre is planted:
The soil is put in thorough condition
Of preparation with pillow and harrow
while the plants are growing to a proper
size TO set out Ii commercial fertilizers
are used, such as bone dust. cotton seed
meal or hull ashes, these are spread broad
cast just before narrowing. Then the land
is checked off five feet each way with an
ordinary plow. AT each intersection a
strong stake Il driven firmly into the soil
FOur-foot stakes will answer. enc foot OF
which should be i'm the earth. Al setting
out time three plants are set around each
stake in the form Of a triangle, the plants
. inches from the stake. Som times.
where the dwarf growing kinds have been
used, we have set plants to the stake, but
| repeated tests have forced the conclusion
that as rule with varieties like the Para
gon, Acme, Beauty or Perfection a maxi
mum crop may be expected from the use
of 5 plants to the hill At the distance
given (5x5 feeO it viii require 17i2 stakes
and 5,226 tomato plants to establish the
plant on an acre. and we would have no
hesitation in laying a wager that If
good variety Of tomato is used and strong
stocky plants set out at the proper tine
on land that has been properly prepared
with piow and harrow and roller the
n. Il
acre of land can be made after this meth
Cd. Especially is this true in years when
there is much moisture during the fruitns
season. If q good strain of seed is used,
there win be the very least amount of rot
possible
Most every grower knows about what
date he will need to have the plants ready
for setting out. Six weeks Cor seven, per
haps) before that time the seeds should
be Sown in cold frames and in three weeks
after sowing the seeds the young plants
/ should be large enough to allow of being
transferred to other frames or border
where they cen be protected. Set out at
a distance of 2x2 or 2x3 inches: the plants
should grow for three weeks longer, and
get strong and stocky for final trans
plaDting to the field. At setting out time
If the weather is inclined to be dry, the
plants are "puddled," after being taken
up A mush of clay dust and cow manure
( is made ana the roofs OF the pietilLS uippcu
into if for several inches of the stem.
While. the plants are getting stocky, the
final preparation Of the land to receive
them and the stakes driven down. 1t is
much better to set out just before rain
than just after. For this crop, however,
we should never regard the weather. when
fbe plants have obtained their proper
size and the time had come when it was
safe to nut out, the work should pro-
coed. After the crop had received several
c1ltivatings end it was evident that the
nlantg wo-ld fall over to the ground after
the next rain, then the tying-up process
would be in order. StriDs of strong cloth
ahovt an inch wide and long enough to en-
circle the stalk and plants would be
ready 70 hand One band placed y to Il
inches from the ground we have found
/ sufficient 70 keep the plants from fallinS
down. and even to protect the latest set
fruit i depends uDon the season, row
ever. whether the growth of vine viii ne
so rank as to require any other assist
ance
on eoos. sandy loan, not over rich in
vegetable matter. most evcellent ann
70 tior Of fertilizer viii be found in 1,UJJ
Mounds Of bone dust (raw bcne) ana Ioo
pounds of cotton seed hull ashes ano oJo
r,o,,nds of acid phosphate. This MIXTURE
"a he well narrowed In just before plant
inc time OF course, any good comp'ste
Fertilizer Of the rate Of q ton per acre
can he substituted Too much n'uoFeH
sho;,1d be guarded aga'nst- Any one VINO
~. a,,c1,,r tcraa toes for long time must
have noticed the wonderful difference in
+be yield os fruit on vine growing n
soil supplied just right with mineral maj
ter. and one growing on soil too rlch N
b,-r,;1s or vegetable matter.
T, oopaIrsion if YOU have never tried
~. rIs1 here eat forth. try q quarter, or
s,,e,l an sigrth Of on acre. this year. and
sce IL YOU do not Ike. Use tomato OF
! r,yafevapcn the