The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-10-10

| GF8AfOu los EcCe9YeQ aS MUCH aCIeIl-
ton as the tomato. There are two
reasons fhr pruning tomatoes. The
nrst Is TO bring the earliest fruit IN
! earlier than would be done without
| pruning. The second is to develop the
| fruit to its full extent. The earliest
! form OF pruning was to remove all the
| side shoots, and then train the plant
up to the main stem or vine, as it is
( usually called, this being either tied to
a stake or fastened to a trellis. While
! this has done much toward producing
! a good crop, it does very little in the
way Of bringing the crop in earlier.
! Experience shows that the earliest to-
matoes can be forced to ripen a week
/ to ten days earlier than where the to-
matoes have not been topped. BY top
I ping or cutting out the terminal bud at
| Just below the second cluster Of bios
I SONS, before the first cluster has be-
I gun to open, the growing force is
/ thrown into the first cluster. 1t is not
unusual, under such treatment, to have
| this cluster produce from five to seven
berries, and all of these ripen at nearly
! the same time. Pruning should not
| be carried too far, as the leaf surface
| or the plant must be sufficient to as
simulate the crude material that is alb
! sorbed by the roots. 1t must be, re-
mernbered that we want to check fur
| ther growth Of the stem and further
| formation of fruit, but not interfere
with the production Of leaf surface,
| so the mere removing of the buds and
| Hover clusters will be pruning enough.
Picking and Sorting.
This is the busy season Of the year
FOR the tomato grower. II his crop is
| ready to go forward, it must be put on
the market without delay. The loss of
| tWenty-four hours will often cause a
| damage of 500 or more on a single
| carload, hence everything should be in
| readiness nj he haV 10
| ready to go at work in a business way.
| During the cool months the tomatoes
| must be allowed to take on even a
slight tinge of red before picking,
otherwise they will arrive in the mar
| ket too green. During the summer
| months these same tomatoes would
have arrived in the market over-ripe.
In the spring months, it is sufficient
TO allow the tomatoes to become full
! grown and a slight change from green
to whitish color; experience will teach
one. The field box is about ten inches
wide. fourteen inches deep and thirty
inches long, and holds about two
crates. In making such boxes do not
leave any cracks open; better make
them of whole boards
The successful tomato growers
usually sort their tomatoes in various
| grades. depending very largely upon
the tastes of the grower and the mar
ket for which they are prepared. There
are two general grades that are recog-
nized by all tomato growers, and they
are usually spoken Of as "ripes" and
green's" These two grades give the
grower chance to distribute the fruit
to different markets and have them all
| arrive there in suitable condition.
More advanced tomato growers make
besides these, other divisions, as large
ripes," small ripes," large greens"
and small green's" While 1t seems
like great deal Of work to separate
the fruit into grades, it is found to be
very profitable. The large well formed
tomatoes are then wrapped in different
kinds of paper to suit the grower and
| packed in carriers, while the small
ones are simply packed in crates.
There are two advantages in packing
the large tomatoes in carriers; first,
they sell better; second, It takes fewer
tomatoes to fill the crate, while the
selling price remains the same. In
| sorting the fruit in various sizes or
| grades, one will be better able to meet
! the desires Of different markets and
| the different dsirs of tn same market.
The usual tomato crate holds about
| "a quarts, and should be made of first
class material; no pains should be
! spared to make the crate and the ma
| terial in the crate look as attractive
| brand.
| varieties.
For shipping purposes Beauty. Stone
and Perfection are general favorites.
Usually we should choose red or pur-
| pie tomatoes, and such varieties as
| will color up evenly and deeply. AS
| the winter crop is sold largely on its
looks, yellow tomato Is always
] last choice. There are other varieties
| such as Paragon and Aristocrat, that
are worthy of trial, but the first three
named are standards, and can be re-
| lied upon as a crop and for shippers.
Fertilizer Formula.
| Nltrogen '-.....-..-.-..-.4 Per cent
| Potash ......-..........-.7 per cent
| Available phophoric acid &c per cent
Use from 1000 to 1000 pounds per
acre, depending upon the fertility of
the soil and the distance apart that
| the plants ere set. If the soil is rich
In humus or nitrogen matter a por-
| ton of the nitrogen should be with
| held, as too much of this element
! makes tomatoes soft and liable to have
| hollow places in their interior.
Fertilizer Amounts.
| Observation-Disclosures Pounds Of diff
| ferent material for one aCre-7OO to
| 1,400 pounds cottonseed meal; or 400
| to 500 pounds dried blood; or 275 to
500 pounds nitrate Of soda; or 200 to
! 400 pounds sulphete of ammonia
Element-Potash: Pounds of differ
| ent material for one acre-90O to 1909
| pounds kainit; or 140 to $50 pounds
| muriate of potash; or 40 to 2S0 pounds
sulphate Of potash; or 300 to 600
pounds sulphate OF potash and sui
! phate of magnesia.
Element-Phosphoric Acid: Pounds
| Of different material in one acre-50O
| to 1900 pounds acid phosphate; or
| 500 to 1000 pounds dissolved bone.
In using cold frame be sure and have
| the soil at least six inches deep. II
| frame is set on a clay soil, II viii be
| necessary to trench about ii so as to
! allow the water to drain of rapidly.