The Delta independent., 1906-06-08

About the first of June is the time
to stake your tomatoes, speaking gen.
orally for the United States. This
article would have been more timely
had 1t been printed a month ago, but
even if it can be remembered for next
years operations in tomato growing,
the writer will feel more than COM
pensated, since for at least small
tomato patches the plan here sug-
Ecsted has been proven by him to have
several advantages.
Some years ago l attempted to grow
seven acres of tomatoes in Southern
Florida-Polk County-for the north
ern winter market. The tomatoes
were planted in November. 1t was the
winter of the great freeze. which swept
Florida from stem to stern and Obliter-
ated all frost lines"-the first Oc
CURED December 2Sth, just on top of
q balmy Christmas Eve spent on the
piazza in summer clothes. On that
day, the thermometer in this frost
proof" region descended to 1SF. with
q biting northwest wind. Thousands
of acres of tomatoes and eggplant
were cut down to the ground. For
tunately for my partner and myself we
We're from the region where Jack-Frost
holds annual sway and we had main
tained a seed bed in spite of the jeers
of our neighbors. BY the use of fer
tiiZer sacks, all the bed quilts, sheets
and clothing we had, and half dozen
fires to windward, we managed to
save some seven or eight thousand
young tomato plants, and thus when
the frost king had passed on his way,
we had start over our neighbors OF
<sr fn
growth.
y A SECOND FREEZE.
We had visions of wealth. Instead
Of seven acres it is true. we had
plants for only about a single acre
each, but we expected eight ten or |
twelve dollars crate for our toma-
toes, instead of two or three dollars,
because all Florida had been wiped
out. Unfortunately, in this instance,
the lightning struck twice, and in Feb
ruary, just as our plants were BIOS
soming and beginning to form fruit, .
second and equally severe freeze
struck into our midst, and again the
entire agricultural section of Florida,
with the exception of a very small
acreage on the southmost keys. was
frozen to the roots. However, in this
Instance the Weather Bureau was on
the lookout, and about nine o'clock In
the evening we had information that
q severe northwest blizzard was rapid
ly moving down the State.
Necessity, as usual, proved itself
the mother of invention and my part
ner, Mr.. c. G. Stephenson, of Herndon.
Va, and myself strapped lanterns to
our left legs, and with n big cotton
hoe each, tramped up and down our
long rows of tomatoes and with n
single dig and pull, for each plant, COW
cred the blossoming tomatoes with
nearly a square foot of the loose
Florida upland sand, in which the
winter tomato Is grown
BY two O'Clock we had finished our |
task, and we thought we were some
what tired: but this effort was nothing
to the job of digging out the plants on
the two succeeding days. The small
of my back still creaks in remem-
brance of the Strengthening up periods
at the end of each row.
Finally, after the two freezes had
done their worst. and the genial sun |
of Southern Florida began to warm |
the air as upon a rare day in June, we |
each found ourselves with about n of
an acre of rather dilapidated but still |
thrifty and little damaged tomatoes, |
far advanced over those of the sur. |
rounding fields.
PRUNING TOMATO VINES.
The tomatoes We're beginning to
throw out numbers of axillary suckers |
lust above each leaf. 1t was my turn,
one day, to drive the white mare to
town and get supply of grub-we
were camping. By chance, I ran
across an old stager who had drifted
down to South Florida from the region J
@0 0>a''Sr.x.'.'s-..,-,...,