The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1915-04-01
TOMATO CULTURE.
Valuable Information Given by Gov
ernment Experts.


the seed in a hot bed in rows two.
OF three inches apart. and when the
plants have developed their first
true leaves transplant them TO stand
about TWO inches apart each way.
This tranSplanting should be done
IL boxes filled with good rich soil or
direct to another part OF the bed.
For the general crop. grown for cam
ming purposes. this transplanung is
all that is necessary until ready to
plant in the field For extra early
tomatoes it is advisable to again
transplant the plants when they
reach the height OF four or five
inches. This time plant in three or
four inch flower pots, strawberry
boxes or tin cans which have had the
tops and bottoms melted off. When
grown in this way the plants can be
left in the bed or cold frame until
the blossoms begin to open.
Making n Hot Bed.
The hot bed may be made as fol-
lows: Select a we'll drained loca-
ton. where the bed will be shelter
ed perfectly on the south side OF
building or fence. Make an eNcava-
ton eighteen inches deep the size
your bed is to be. Throw in fresh
horse manure and pack by tramp
Ing. The manure heap should be
about even with the surface Of the
ground or eighteen incheS deep. The
manure furnishes the heat to start
the plants. Put on top the manure
four or five inches of good garden
loan, which has not grown and dis
eased plants. and cover the bed with
glass hot bed sash. If glass cannot
be secured canvass may be substitute
ed for the glass The temperature
will run high for a few days, but no
seeds should be planted until the
temperature falls to about so de-
grees F. which will require three or
four days.
4 bed made about five feet nine
inches wide and about six feet long
will be plenty large enough to grow
plants for a tenth acre garden. This
size bed will take two hot bed sashes
which measure three feet by six feet.
The frame TO support the sash should
be about fifteen to eighteen inches
high at the hack and six inches low
er in front in order TO get the bed
warm before slope should be TO-
wards the south.
During bright days the bed vii.
heat very quickly and it will be
necessary 10 ventilate by raising sash
on the opposite side from the wind.
Toward evening close the sash in or
der 10 get the bed warm before night.
Water the bed in the morning on
bright days as watering in the even
ing or on cloudy days will have a
tendency to injure the plants and
increase the danger OF freezing and
damping of Nentilate the bel after
Watering in order TO dry off the
plants.
Before the plants are set ont they
should be hardened off and this can
be done by transferring to cold
frame or by removing the hot bed
sash during the days in mild wealth
er. AS the plants become hardened
the sash can be left off at nights
when there is no danger OF frost.
This hardening off process must be
done gradually to prevent any serious
check to growth.
If it is impossible TO make a hot
bed the plants can be started in shall
low boxes in the house. Get shallow
boxes from a store and fill with good
rich soil and SOW the seed as de-
scribed for the hot bed. Bore TWO or
three holes in the bottom OF the box
for drainage. Keep the box as near
a window as possible and at living
room temperature. Close attention
should be given to watering as the
air of q living room is usually dry
and will soon dry out Of the soil. The
plants must be developed in the light
or they will be weak and spindling.
They should be transplanted to other
boxes or to a cold frame, which Is
made in the same way as the hot bed
except that the manure is left out
and canvass may be substituted for
the glass sash: In the far South II
will not be necessary to have hot
bed: the cold frame will be sufficient.
Popular Poverty.