Smyrna times., 1899-03-29
FARMERS INSTITUTE.
Tomato Growing Discussed at Length by S.
II. Derby Before CheswOid
Farmers


Special Correspondence to the Times
CHEswOLD, Mar. 28:-The subject of
tomato growing was treated by S. II.
Derby of WOOdside, Del, in the Jr. o.
U. A. NJ, Council room, Cheswold,
last Friday afternoon, under the au
spices of the Farmers Institute of
Kent county. r. NJ. Cooper presided
and Prof Wesley Webb acted as Sec
retary.
Mr.. Derby thought the Livingston
the best variety for canning, but below
Dover, mixing seed of the Paragon
and Stone had proved successful. Mix
ing tomatoes fertilization it is thought.
He questioned whether we ought to go
out of this State for seed. He has tried
the same seed five years successfully
without apparent diminution of crop
results. Growing the plants is the
important part. They should be of
the proper size and hardness of stock
when set out. The seed bed should be
rich with well rOttec manure and the
earth fine to force the seed. Every
grower should save his own seed of the
largest tomatoes in the early picking
season. 1t is safe to put in a double
quantity of seed to combat with flea
beetle These pests bite and innoculate
the plants Simple land plaster is
good to drive them.
For the blight, Mr.. Derby advocated
the bordeau mixture commencing with
it IN the seed bed. Over in Maryland
it has acted as a good specific. An old
drill with top off and hogshead instead
with hose and nOZZles can be impro
vised to answer every purpose for
With it, one horse and two persons
could spray, possibly, five acres per
day, taking two rows at time. For
the field, Mr.. Derby advised a thor
Ough preparation of ground. Work
your ground until your neighbor laughs
at you. The tomato wants nitrogen.
OF late years we can supplant barn
yard manure very successfully with
crimson clover or other nitrogenous
plants. There is but little land here
| field will differ in soil quality from
another part, therefore it would be
we'll for the farmer to study his land
and if possible apply fertilizer to suit
After tnrning under crimson clover or
| COW peas the ground should be thor
| oughly worked so the plant will not
4
/ for the roots to feed on. For tomatoes
ON most lands, he advised mixture of
| Nitrate of Soda Potash and fish scrap.
He discarded kainit. An instance was
| given where 100 pounds per acre of
nitrate of soda applied around the plant
after being set out gave much better
results then the same quantity per
acre in with plants root. He ad-
1 al cnn6
but cautioned great care; a small
quantity in water and applied is better
Set your plants early for canning pur-
poses, frost often catches the late set
tings. You can't cultivate too much.
Use a scratch harrow; there is no need
of plow. Fertilizers should be drilled
in the ground. If dropped in hill il
should be put there not in bunch but
in a circle.
There were about 25 present and the
meeting was largely conversational
Mr.. Derby being an apple grower some
questing turned upon the apple in
dustry. He strongly recommended
spraying with Bordeaux Mixture from
three to five applications for the sea
son, commencing at the unfolding o
leaf bud. From five trees which b,
had systematically spraying last sum
mer he realized So. 30 per tree. The
fruit sold for 81 per basket. Two tree
besides them not sprayed were com
paratively worthless. In putting ou
an orchard he would place the vari
ties which bloom simultaneously clos
in rows to aid polarization. He ha
so acres in apples, embracing fifty vari
ties most of them however are youn,
trees.