The Little River news., 1917-11-10
Btal ULUB GIRLS
 HISTORY TOMATO CRUP
Miss Lucy Wade Won First Prize Copy of History Names of Contributors to
 Prizes.


 tion agent, 1 will relate the history of my tomato crop:
 In the spring of 1917, l decided to join the canning club, l was given a package of Stone tomato seed and also instructions how to plant them
 l prepared a bed in my mother $ garden about four feet by six feet, dug the ground up we'll and made it rich With rotten barnyard manure. One beautiful afternoon (April 6thJ planted my seed in rows upon this bed and covered them to depth Of about one-half inch.
 I watched the bed very closely wait ing for the plants 0 peep out. One afternoon l noticed the ground had burst and the next morning the plants could be seen. It being warm weather my plants grew fast.
 My one-tenth acre garden had been well Eio ed .Vtca and the rows were next mace. 1 had two loads of rottad barnyard manure hauled and put over the patch. On May the 3rd and 4th I distributed the manure and then had my rows rebedded. About q week after this I had my rows narrowed down.
 My plants being ready to set out ton May 21st) I carefully pulled them up and carried them to my one-tenth acre garden and put them out. put them into the ground deep being careful to place the dirt around the roots SO as not to bruise them.
 Nearly all of my plants lived and what few died, I replanted on June End They began to grow and 1 could soon see them from the house.
 The grass grew as we'll as my to- matoes and I Eoed them on the 4th of June I also had them plowed the same day I would walk over my patch most every evening to see if could find enything new. To my sur prise on June 6th I discovered a bloom.
 In order to keep a mulch on top of the ground I had my tomatoes ploW- ed again on the 14th of June. My tomatoes were forming blooms rapidly now and they were getting to be large strong and healthy plants. I watched the first bloom and on June 17th I dis covered that it bad fallen off and left a small tomato
 My tomatoes were now getting large enough to stake l got all of the strips I could find and then finished up with pine poles l found in the woods I drove my stakes down by the side Of each tomato. I pruned all of my tomatoes, leaving two limbs and a bunch o1 blooms in the fork. As soon as I had pruncd them all I got some stout strings and tied each to> mato, loosely around the stakes. worked on this the 18th, 25th and 26th of June.
 It was so interesting to watch this crop Of tomatoes They grew so fast on the 27th of June. I hood them for the last time They had begun to shade the ground until there was not much grass growing.
 My tomatoes having been full of large tomatoes I had them ploWed June 30th for the last time.
 My tomatoes had grown up the stakes far enough to tie again, so, on July 10th, I cut some more stout strings and tied my tomatoes second time Every time I came to sucker I pinched it off.
 Our cucumbers were near my toma- to patch. One morning I was gather ing cucumbers and 1 spied something red in my tomato patch. l went to it and it was large red smooth tOma, to- l had to eat it because it was my first one. This was about July 10th
 My tomatoes were getting ready to can but I did not know how to can them. I attended the rally the 18th and 20th Of July. 1 learned how to can and also had very pleasant time. l came home and began canning. had no canner so I had to can on the stove. It was not quite so pleasant as being under a tree in a cool shade. The first canned was for exhibition ypeaches and tomatoes I canned enough tomatoes for home use and gave some away. I sold two bushels and the remainder ruined except the ones we ate.
 My tomatoes had no diseases and the only insects that bothered were worms. They came just about the time my fruit wac all gone.
 List oi contributors to Club Prizes:
 Arkansas State Bank ............... S20. % w. D. Waldrop .......-....-....-...........2O. % First National Bank, Ashdown 1000 M. C. JOnnSOn D. H. Tompkins ................. 2. 50 RusSa1t Dair ShOaS for pirl