The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1902-10-03
VOL. 15., NO. 80.

and then pull out two, leaving one
to stand until ready to be carried
to the field; but | prefer to take
up all plants at the last transplant
ing, as this give the grower a
chance to Gull his plants and make
them more uniform in size and de-
velopment. 1t is best in trans
planting to set plants as nearly of
one size as possible altogether, for
if you have low plants among tall
ones they will grow up SO spind-
ling and tender that many will
break in handling. The manage
ment of plants in the bed is some
thing that each grower must learn
from experience, though they may
understand from the start that it
takes plenty of space, plenty of
sunshine and plenty of air to grow
good plants. BY having enough
beds and using glass instead of
canvass, every grower can have
these essentials, as he can trans
plant any distance apart that suits
him, and no day is ever SO cold
when the sun is shining but that
he can lift the sash slightly at the
bottom so that the air can circulate
through the beds. Having your
plants in bands now the grower
has nothing to do except give them
air or water if they need it; and
right here let me say that they
need very little water until you
are ready to carry them to the
field. For few days before you
expect to carry them to the field
all canvass or glass should be taken
off the beds so that the plants may
harden. This should be done
gradually at first, say an hour or
two each morning and evening I'M
til the plants are hardened enough
to stand an all'day exposure.
Having your plants ready to car
ry to the field, the preparation of
the ground next engages your at
tention. | prefer land that has
been in peas or clover the year
before; this is broken deeply in
the fall and bedded up four fur
rows to the row with a two horse
pillow in November; then in spring
we run a ten-inch shovel in the
middle and bed back two burrows
with a two horse pillow; this is then
narrowed until it is in good condi-
ton; then run the ten-inch shovel
again to open furrow for the
plants. The fertilizer - usually
about seven hundred pounds per
acre-is dropped in punches along
this furrow and shovel run through
it to scatter it. Sticks are set up
along the row the distance apart
we wish the plants to be. After
thoroughly soaking the plants
with water they are taken to the
field and one placed by each stake
and tied up at once; the band is
cut off and dirt raked up around
the plant and packed slightly;
usually we put two burrows with
shovel and two with turning pillow
as soon as set out. After plants
are in the field they must Ike kept
pruned and we'll tied up all the
time; neglect of this will cause
loss.
Cultivation should be shallow
and often; keep the surface stirred
to prevent any crust forming and
they will stand protracted dry
spell without serious damage.
When ready for shipment we
pick those that are pink and pack
in four basket crates. Great care
should be exercised in grading the
fruit, both as to color and size.
Have all in each crate as nearly
the same size and color as posi-
BILE. Small tomatoes that run uni
form will sell better than larger
ones that are packed different sizes
and coIors in the same crate.
One word of advice to beginners:
Don't try to grow too many acres;
better less acreage and more care
of them, than more acreage. and
half attention, for you can never
grow crop that repays you more
fully for extra care and attention.
AS to the kind Of fertilizer the be-
ginner should use, some high grade
complete fertilizer running say
to per cent. ammonia, 4 to per
cent. potash, s to 10 phosphate
until he determines by experiment
just what his soil requires. Will
L l. 4 z