The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-01-13

-rt, Affssissippi trucker grows his plants
., - botbed TO a good, stocky size, and in
Iii sets them out in a field, being par
.t.rlarIv careful to take up a compare
.,Teiv large block of earth with each
,i,nt so that the growth is scarcely
checked
Very soon he goes through and pinches
ont All axillary suckers, or sprouts. This
forces the sap into the main stalk, and
induces early fruiting: Some suckers
~ come from beneath the surface Of
The ground. These must also be pulled
off leaving a single stem.
As soon as the planting is completed
a sniff stake, five feet in length, is hrm-
IL set at each plant, and about the time
The fruit is setting each plant IS tied with
cannon cord, which has previously been
wound around a bit of plank, and cut
thirteen to fourteen teen ti nGhf5 rmn arog9nd
he stake and loosely about the stem OF
the plant so as not TO interfere with IT'S
growth being careful, also, not 10 allow
Tbe fruit cluster to rub the stake. The
enrouts or aXillary suckers, Will grow
yery rapidly, and must be kept constant
" pinched of.
Three tyings are usually necessary up
10 the time when five good clusters of
fruit have set When these aggregate
twenty or twenty-five tomatoes, the top
is pinched off, and the whole strength OF
the plants is conferred in the production
of arm. bright, smooth tomatoes, of good
and uniform size. Care must be taken
no leave a leaf stem above the top clus-
Ter for shade. Pinching back the suck
ers viii tend to increase the size OF the
leaves, making ample shade for the fruit.
The objection that pruning leaves the
fruit too much exposed and causes sun
persistenuy checking all supernuous
growth, both plant, food and moisture
are economical, and the size OF the fruit
is kept up to good standard. An addi-
lnn Fall Ya1rQr nod
ulants can be set closer and the danger
from rot is much reduced.
Better Ways of Cultivating Tomatoes
The above plan is good enough where
only small area is grown, but l am
quite sure that where from one to fVe
acres are cultivated a plan that we have
suggested before is an Improvement on
the one described. If the land is perfect
ly level and especially if it is tenacious
and much inclined to bake and run to-
gether after heavy rains, 1t is much bet
ter to check it AKA feet and put strong
stake in each check and set three plants
10 each stake. If one goes to the trou-
ble of using stakes he might as well get
the full benefit from doing so. l judge,
though, there are but few tomato grow
crs who are aware that three plants OF
tomatoes (and always two are as easily
grown in the hill as so many cucumber
vines or Lima bean vines, and even If
three plants thus clustered in a hill would
not produce more than two having all
setting three in hill, but such varieties
as Dwarf Champion or other kinds that
are not rank growers will produce very
nearly, if not fully as much, sper vine as
when each vine has its accustomed six
or even nine square feet The three
plants should be set in a triangle II to
l5 inches apart, the stake in the center
and before the vines fall over are to be
encircled with a strong band, drawing
the plants little to the stake. One
strong band placed about II or 10 inches
from the ground will protect most of the
fruit from touching the ground. 1t will
referred to. In the case of
Torphy, Acme and the like it is we'll later
on to put a band higher up. This is the
plan for level land. but when the land is
rolling and in anyways inclined to wash,
Wnen plowed both ways, it Will be better
10 plant the usual way in rows on the
horizontal with plants 2ls or feet along
IN the row.
And the mode of planting that is now
suggested is an Improvement on the sin
gle stake plan above described as observ-
ed IN Mississippi. After the land has been
ploWed and narrowed lay off rows first
VIDE then narrow, feet between the first
TWO, feet between the second and third
ana SO on across the field. Set the plants
so mat they will not stand opposite to one
another, but after the first row has been
set IN the next put the plants diagonal to
me hrst. Cultivate as usual Just before
the plants face over, cultivate between the
narrow rows and drive a stake 10 or u feet
apart, and run wire along from stake to
sake, drawing it as tight as possible
-" men the vines get top heavy and begin
10 rlpen their fruit, lay them over the wire
covering up the narrow rows entirely. Con-
unue to cultivate the wide rows with har-
row or sweep so as to keep them clear OF
weeds or grass. The work must be very
swallow, however. have cultivated several
Tres IN this way, dispensing with stakes
ana Wire. Training the vines over on to the
narrow middles they can be made to sup
port themselves sufficiently to keep the
greater part of the fruit clear of the
sLound. 1t is a very desirable plan indeed
nIieh so large an area as 10 acres are
crown A medium-sized tomato, averaging
say ounces, would be preferable always
lEnen no stakes are used. The very large
Alhds like Ponderosa Trophy or Blounts
1lnster, should be staked But for, market
purposes and especially for shipping any
sphslderable distance. we are against al
eueSe large kinds. A tomato crop grown
property is one of the prettiest sights in
.t domain of horticulture. And it is some
;inIhs well worth doing just right. Grow
ils tomatoes 3-in-a-hill is our own pecu-
mar ,laf INVENTION" but it is not patented
aiF a small plot this way this season and
,;, now easily they will then grow and
.7io about as much to the vine as if each
space Essacee
WateFmelon-Best Variety.