Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1917-05-11
The Way To Grow A Successful
Crop OF Tomatoes.

land IN securing the largest possible crop
this year to meet the unequaled demand
for goods, the Maryland Agricultural Ex-
tension Service has named Prof. C. E.
Temple, specialist in plant diseases. to
cooperate with growers and county dem
onstration agents in preventing waste from
the spread of disease or improper hand
ling. Professor Temple has devoted sew
eral years study to tomatoes and believes
that much injury can be prevented by
timely and efficient treatment. He says !:
IF we should ever try to grow a large
crop Of tomatoes. we should do so this year.
The canned products, especially, are going
to be needed for our military forces, and
then, too. the contract prices are somewhat
higher this year than usual. In view of
these facts, it would seem that every prac-
tical precaution should be taken to secure
a maximum crop.
"A great handicap to the production of
a maximum crop is found in setting in the
field diseased plants, or plants that have
been partially eaten by insects; weak or
stunted plants require considerable time to.
recover, il they ever recover. If diseased
plants are set in the field each infected
plant becomes a center from which the
disease may spread to other plants. This
condition can be improved upon by giving
attention to certain details in connection
with the growing of the plants.
Every tomato grower of experience
has learned that the seed bed should be
well made. This includes not only the
soil but also the application of fertilizers.
Sufficient fertilizers must be used to start
the plants off rapidly and to keep them
growing. II the fertilizer was not applied
before planting it is possibly not too late
yet to apply some quick-acting fertilizer to
the surface where it may be worked into
the soil with garden tools
For several years the Maryland State
College has recommended the spraying of
tomato seedlings in the seed bed, but only
recently have the growers taken this up
as a practical operation in the growing Of
the crop. In some parts Of the State last
year, those men who sprayed in the bed
had good plants whereas, in many cases,
where the plants were not sprayed in the
bed. they were weak and in poor condition
for planting. In some cases only fence
or public highway separated a sprayed
bed from an unsprayed bed. but there wa S
great difference between the plants of
the beds: the plants in the sprayed bed
were strong, vigorous, in fine condition for
setting but the plants in the unsprayed
bed were weak. stunted and unfit for setting
Probably the greatest pest in the pro-
duction Of plants is the flea beetle This
little insect is so eager to attack the young
plants that it even crawls under the little
clods as soon as the ground is broken by
the plants. and attacks the little plants be-
fore they get entirely through the ground.
1t attacks not only the leaves but also the
tender stems. and plants attacked in this
young condition seldom recover.
THE leaf blight, which is so severe ir
destroying the leaves Of the plants in the
field. also attacks the seedlings in the seed
bed. 1t. too. attacks the tender stems as
well as the leaves, and plants so infected
almost never recover. To control these
two pests, one should use a spray material
which is composed of bluestone and a
poison. Commercial preparations such as
'pyrox, or Bordeaux zinc serve the pur.
pose very well. Both of these come ir
smqll containers with directions for apply
ing. Homemade Bordeaux, ALSO. with
the addition of pound and a half oil
powdered arsenate Of lead is standard
formula for this spraying.
The first application should be made
before all Of the plants have come through
the ground. Spray carefully all parts OF
the little plants, but do not apply so much
Of the spray material that II will soak
down through the ground and injure the ten.
der roots. Applications should be repeated
every week until the plants are set in the
field.
MANY tomato growers plant about twice
as much seed as is actually needed fol-
their fields. some Of them say that they
plant pound for themselves and pound
for the flea beetle. At any rate. the seeds
are usually planted too thick, and the re-
suit is the plants grow so close together
that they are very spindline. A tall, slen-
der plant is not desirable for setting in the
field on the other hand. a stout. thick
plant is much to be preferred. These strong
plants may be produced by thinning to
about one to two inches in the bed
inexperienced growers. and sometimes
others, do not always use the best judg-
ment in removing the plants from the
seed bed. They often pull the plants from
the ground. sometimes without watering
them before hand or loosening the ground
beneath the roots. II the plants are
pulled from the ground. a large num-
Der Of rootlets are necessarily stripped
of In the process. On the other hand,
the best practice seems to be TO spray
the bed day or two before the plants
are TO be set, and to soak the soil of
the seed bed with water the night be-
fore the plants are removed. and then to
loosen the soil about the roots with tool
when removing the plants. 1t is a good
practice. where setting machinery is used.
to water the plants at the time Of setting
with solution Of two pounds Of nitrate of
soda to fifty gallons Of water. This is all
the more desirable whenever the plants
are at all weak or overerown. as II tends