234 ANNUAL REPORT 



The following paper was read by the Secretary: 



EARLY BEETS AND TOMATOES. 

 By Joshua Allyn, Red Wing. 



S. D..Hillman, Secretary, etc.: 



Your program at hand. I see I am booked for early beets and to- 

 matoes. I regret I cannot attend the meeting this year, and must 

 give you a brief written report of everything. As this is my own 

 practical experience it may not amount to anything with others, but 

 I will endeavor to give you my method of raising early beets. 



About the middle of March the seed is sowed in shallow boxes; my 

 boxes are about twenty-four by eighteen inches in size, four inches 

 deep. I try to have four hundred to five hundred plants in each box; 

 they are placed in hot house and forced to rapid growth until middle 

 of April; then set boxes in cold frames and gradually harden them 

 until they will stand quite frosty air. By the first week in May they 

 will do to set out or transplant in bed. As soon as the ground can be 

 worked in the spring these beds must be manured, plowed, dragged 

 and worked thoroughly and two or three times before setting the 

 plants. This stirring the ground warms and loosens it, and the young 

 roots can soon get the benefit to repay all trouble. 



The same directions can be followed for turnips, onions, etc., espe- 

 cially when sets are scarce. Early onions can be grown this way, 

 and only need to be tried with success to be followed each year. 



These articles of food may seem of small account, but I find in this 

 small place extra early beets amount to quite a little. I think the 

 Minneapolis market could easily take care of forty thousand bunches 

 before the usual crop is ready. 



EARLY TOMATOES. 



Tomato seeds are sown in same kind of boxes as beets. For the 

 earliest varieties sow first of March. We use Canada Vick for early. 

 A week later sow late kinds. With us the Acme does best usually 

 for late. The first idea is healthy, stocky plants, and I urge them as 

 fast as possible; with this object in view they must have plenty of 

 fresh, warm air to grow dark colored leaves, heavy roots and thick 

 stock. I do not allow mine to stop growing. 



When they have three or four leaves I pick out with care, trans- 

 plant in other boxes, same size, give same temperature and treatment 



