The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1911-04-28
In Orchard and Field
gFiappenings Of Moment to the Man Behind the Plow
The GROWING OF TOMATOES

Ii one is going to attempt to raise
tomatoes to any extent, it is we'll to
know beforehand some of the con-
dltions that make for a successful
crop. The man who expects to
raise them as he did in the east has
a nice surprise in store.
The first and most important
thing is the preparation of the seed
bed. Clover or timothy sod makes
a very good soil, alfalfa being a
little difficult to prepare. Plow the
ground six or seven inches deep,
then pulverize it. This must be
done very thoroughly. For this
purpose disc harrow is best. After
this is done satisfactory, put on
good fertilizer, about Is loads of
manure to the acre is good, and
then use the disc again until the
soil looks like well-kept garden.
Of course the ground has been
leveled long ago so that yon are all
ready to irrigate it. The bitches
for water should be made four feet
apart and about three inches deep.
Leave the water on untilthe ground
is moist but not soggy, then take a
hand pillow and make furrow about
two inches from your irrigating
ditch, about an inch and half in
depth, throwing the dirt to the
windward as a shield and protection
to the young plants. Sow your
seed in this little furrow and cover
about half an inch deep,
The amount of seed to the acre
which / use is two pounds, though
| have known others who used less
and still others who used more.
You must watch the patch very
carefully and not allow the soil to
dry out, and if the weather is windy
it will do this very quickly. The
soil must be kept nicely moist all
the time until the plants are up,
and even then it is good idea to
keep it moist to insure rapidgrowth.
When the plant is about an inch
high, commence cultivation, and
keep the ground clean all the time
SO the weeds will never start, to
cay nothing Of getting ahead of you.
After each irrigation, cultivate
as soon as possible. If this work is
not done properly as soon as the
condition of the ground will permit,
the soil becomes heavy and cold and
the plants will not do well. Guilt
walton should be practiced at least
once week uutil the plants are a
foot high, when they will not re-
quire cultivation so often.
When they have grown up and
begin to lop over, You had better
take shovel pillow and dig furrow
in the center between the rows for
the irrigation bitches. This will be
close enough for the moisture that
is needed now. 1t will be found
wise from the very start to draw
the water little farther away from
the plants with each irrigation,
ditching each time just little
farther away, as the plants increase
in size. Water should never come
so close as to stand on top of the
roots.
Soon the vines will get too big
for cultivation, but they must not
be allowed to get Ory.
AS to the kinds of seed, l have
used several varieties, but find
Manle's Earliest of them All the
best adapted for my locality. Some
kinds seem more liable to blight
than others.
Time Of sowing the seed depends
on the weather. Do not SOW until
the ground is nice and warm. This
has generally been with me between
the lst and the 10th of April.
Taking it all in all, the tomato
is good crop to raise, as it pays
well. For several years | have
grown the crop, having planted
them between young trees in my
orchard, and found it to do well.
Irrigator.