The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1903-02-13

| lightly with rake about one-half inch
deep, and if the season bids fair to be
a dry one it is better to run liz ht
roller over the seed rows after first
putting fertilizer on the furrows at the
rate of at least thousand pounds to
the acre. Seed planted in this manner
should come up and grow rapidly. and
when about one inch high require shall
low cultivation, repeated every four or
five days. l find that ploughing in
the manure renders the soil very light
and porous, making it easy for pulling
the plants which come up without
broken roots or being bruised.
When the plants are about six inches
high they are ready for setting in the
field. In this locality the sell best
adapted for this purpose is red clay
soil that has been in clover, peas, or
wheat the previous season. The soil
should be Of close, firm texture, we'll
drained and ploughed to depth OF
about six inches, and narrowed and
rolled at least one month before setting
the plant; when, if machine is use6
in marking, no furrowing is necessary,
but if the plants are set by hand it is
best to mark shallow the plot of ground
one way and marking with deeper
furrow crosswise Immediately before
setting the plants. If the fertilizer is
put in the hill it should be we'll scat
tered in and around the hill, as the to-
mato plants are often killed by coming
in contact with the phosphate, and l
generally prefer fertilzing after setting
the plants. II the ground is very dry,
the plants after being pulled should
have their roots puddled in mud and
Immediately set out before drying.
They should be we'll put in the ground
and the earth pulverized finely around
them. If the plant is very tall it is
much better 10 lay it dry in the fur
row. only showing three or four inches
above the soil. This causes the plant
to grow from the crown and not from
the sides, which will insure an early
and more vigorous growth.
Having set the field in tomatoes
about four feet apart, and in very good
soil five feet apart is abundantly near,
it should be cultivated at once, and re-
peated shallow cultivation should be
given it every five or six days. If the
land has been thoroughly we'll pre-
pared and contains sufficient amount
of vegetation from last years crop,
there is little danger from drouth or
scald, and l even believe that the blight
can in a great measure be prevented
by thorough preparation Of the rig ht
kind of soil. To reach the highest
possible yield, the land should be
spread, after being ploughed, in ma
nure, the more the better. The tomato
Of all plants has capacity of using a
very large amount of soil material.
At the last working of the crop the
ground should be left as nearly level
as possible, and the working should
cease when the plants have grown half
way across the rows.
To prevent the tomato blight, which
has proven 80 disastrous in some local
tiles during the past years, | believe
that if the top Of the plant was dipped
in Bordeaux mixture it would lie a
great benefit; this followed by spray
ing twice during the cultivation will
most always prevent it. In fact, be-
Iieve that careful selection of the
soil would, in a great measure. prevent
the blight, which in this locality has
never yet proven 50 detrimental as the
worm. And here, l will say, that a
tomato crop should never he grown
twice in succession upon the same land
nor should it follow crop OF potatoes,
as both blight and the worm are more
frequently seen in the fields which have
followed potatoes and tomatoes.
The best variety of chemical ferlili-
z r., is one that contains nitrate of soda
and muriate of potash. Experiments
at the different experiment stations
are demonstrating the fact, that not
only do you get larger yield, but a
much better quality of frait from heavy
manurins; therefore, by no means be
niggardIy in apply ing manure. even
believe that thousand pounds to the
acre would amply be repaid by the in
creased yield and quality Of the tomato.
A tomato grown on poor soil and in
sufficiently nourished, would only give
you abolt three hundred and fifty
three pound cans to the ton, but the
most perfect fruit grown on rich or
highly fertilized land will give you at
least five hundred three pound cans to
the ton Therefore, not only is the