The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-02-24

rows to 4 feet apart and set tho
plants to 1-2 feet apart in the
row. If the plants are not to be
trained to stakes, set them to 4 feet
apart in row with the rows feet
apart.
Cultivation.
Cultivate the soil as often as nee
essary to keep the surface loose and
free from weeds and grass. FREQUENT
shallow cultivation should be follow
ed at all times SO that the moisture
will be retained. Use a light cultiva-
tor rather than shovel plow, sweep
or turning plOw. Some hand hoeiu.
Will be necessary to keep the weeds
down and the soil loose around the
plants and in the row. After every
rain the soil should be cultivated 20
prevent baking and the subsequent
loss of moisture.
Training.
For the early crop of tomatoes for
market, the plants should be trimmed
to one or two stems and tied to stakes
or other kind of supports. After Sc.
lccting the one Or two stems that are
to bear the fruit, go over the plat
about once a week and pinch out the
shoots growing in the axils of the
leaves (where the leaf joins the main
stem) Keep the stems tied to the
supports so they will not bend over
or break. Use soft twine or strips
of cloth for tying and do not draw il
tight around the stem. Many grow
ers in the south use stakes one inch
or more square and about 5 feet long.
These stakes are driven in ne ground
near the plant, about foot or a foot
and a half deep. BY pruning and
tying in the way mentioned. the plants
can be more easily and thoroughly,
sprayed, better cultivation can be
given, and the fruit will ripen earlier
and be more uniform in size and
shape. The fruit will be kept off the
ground and can be more easily har-
vested. For canning purposes,
where earliness is not of great i'm,
portance, 1t Is a question whether
pruning and stalking will pay. be-,
cause as mLrh or more fruit will bFS
produced without the training.
Harvesting.
Tomatoes for q local market should
he. well-colored and firm when pick
ed but for a distant market they,
must be harvested before they d.,
come well-colored. For market, to-
matoes should be put up in neat, at,
tractive packages, preferably in half;
peck baskets which can be shipped
In crates of to baskets. The more
the fruit is in size, sha De, and
color, the higher the price received
on the market. All deformed, crack
ed, or Delayed tomatoes should be
thrown out as such fruits will injure
the sale fthe ffrst-class fruit The
tomatoes should be placed in the bas-
kets In such way that they will
present the best appearance and will
not shake about in the package. Do
not put large and small fruit in the
same package. For very fancy
'rade, tomatoes are often wrapped in
tissue paper before being placed in
the basket.
For canning, the tomatoes should
re full-ripe but not soft. Unripe
:ruit gives straw -colored product
when canned and over-ripe fruit
makes "mushy" product.
Beans and Okru.
For growing beans and okra, the
Same general directions Of prepara
ton of soil, fertilization and cultiva-
tion as given for the tomato will be
satisfactory. The seed Of these two
crops may be planted as soon as the
soii has begun to warm up and all
danger of frost is over. For con-
tinuous supply Of these vegetables,
successive paintings, four or five
weeks apart, should be made.
Okra.
Plant seed 8 or inches aparC in
rows 3 1-2 to 4 fet apart and cover
to the depth Of 1 to inches accord
ing to the soil-the lighter the soil
the deeper the seed should be plant
Cd. AS soon as the plants are we'll es-
'ablished, thin to IL to IA inches
apart for dwarf varieties and 1S to
"a inches for the large growing va
ricties.
The pods should be gathered when
they are tender and this will ord;-
nariiy require picking every day. The
varieties most commonly grown are
the Tall green long pod, Tall green
H.