TOMPKINS TOPEKA. 



685 



the most important of our garden products. It is 

 easily managed, even by inexperienced bunds, and 

 hundreds of acres are now planted with it in the 

 vicinity of all our large cities. 



The tomato plant has a weak stem of about 4 ft. in 

 length, which is apt to trail or become prostrate. The 

 leaves are irregular primate with large leaflets, the 

 stem and leaves being clothed with suit viscid hairs 

 of a strong, unpleasant odor and a somewhat resinous 

 substance which leaves a stain. It bears racemose 

 clusters of yellow flowers, its fruit being a 2- or 3-celled 

 berry, though there are numerous cells in the cultivated 

 varieties. I'nder cultivation the fruit varies greatly 

 in color and size, the plant being highly plastic, though 

 it is possible that the cultivated forms may represent 

 several species. Half a century ago this plant was 

 raised only as a curiosity, or as an ornament from its 

 red fruit, but it is now one of the most popular and 

 useful cf vegetables. It ripens after plucking, and 

 hence can be picked preen and transported long dis- 

 tances, our northern cities lieirig supplied from Florida 

 and the Bermudas and gradually up the coast before 

 the fruit ripens in their own vicinity. It is used in 

 numerous ways, eaten raw as a salad,' stewed, baked, 

 broiled and in soups, stews, and sauces. Tomato cat- 

 sup is a favorite relish, and vast quantities of tomatoes 

 are put up for winter use by canning and preserving. 



To produce early crops the seed is sown in hot-beds 

 or forcing-pits some ten weeks before planting in the 

 open air. In the Middle States this is done about the 

 first week in March, transplanting being done in 

 middle May. The plants are placed in light sandy 

 soil, in hills 3 ft. apart, and well manured. The yield 

 under careful cultivation is about 4<H) bushels to the 

 acre, the average rnaikct price being about 75 cents 

 per bushel. This seems profitable ; yet there is much 

 expense and labor needed in the forcing processes ne- 

 for an early crop. In the South, where con- 

 vi nil 'lit to shipping, the raising of tomatoes lor the 

 Northern market is a very remunerative industry. In 

 some localities thousands of acres of tomatoes are 

 raised by farmers under contract for canning purposes. 

 Often sell as low as 1.0 rents per bushel, but this 

 will pay on suitable land better than most farm crops, 

 there being no need to plant early lor this purpose. 



Of the many varieties of tomatoes now in tlie mar- 

 ket, among the leading ones in the vicinity of New 

 York arc the Mikado. Acme, Paragon, I'eriection, 

 Trophy, Red and Yellow Plum, General Grant. Ilath- 

 away's Excelsior, and Canada Victor. Elsewhere 

 other varieties are more prominent. The Trophy has 

 been in favor for many years, ami is of unsurpassed 

 size, flavor, and productiveness. Earlier and smoother 

 varieties are now raised. tlmiiL'h there has l>een no 

 improvement in quality of varieties for twenty years 

 past, and all further improvements seem likely to be 

 in smoothness and solidity. The tomato is a plant 

 which requires a high temperature to ripen its fruit, 

 its time of ripening lieing May in Georgia, June in 

 Virginia, July in Delaware, and August in New Jer- 

 sey and New York. A* a winter vegetable, in its 

 canned strife, it has hardly an equal among vegetable 

 articles of diet, many millions ol cans lieing annually 

 11-"! (C. M.) 



TOMPKINS. DANIF.I. D. (1 774-1 Si'.V). vii-e- presi- 

 dent of the United States, was born at Sear>dale. N. 

 Y., June 21, 1774. He graduated at Columbia Col- 

 lege in 1795, and was admitted to the bar in 17'J7. He 

 was elected to the Legislature in 1SM1, and took part in 

 the revision of the State ( stitution. Elected to Con- 

 gress in ]SI)t. iie resigned to become an associate 

 justice of the N. Y. supreme court. In 180f> he was 

 'i governor of the Slate, and during his tenure of 

 this .iflicr he gave effective support to the war policy 

 of the national administration in 1812. At a later 

 period the incomplete and confused record of his 

 financial transactions at this time were used to injure 

 his reputation, aud prove him a debtor to the State, 



' though the contrary was the fact. His opposition to 

 banks was conspicuously shown by his proroguing the 

 Legislature for ten months to prevent the Bank of 



j America from being established in the city of New 

 York. The bank, however, finally obtained its char- 

 ter. In IbilG he was elected vice-president on the 

 ticket with Monroe, and before leaving the governor's 

 chair he recommended the passage of an act abolishing 

 slavery in the State of New Yoi k. This was done, the 

 act taking effect in July, 1827. Tompkins was re- 

 elected with Monroe, and at the close of his term 

 retired to Staten Island, where he died June 11, ]si">. 

 TOOMBS, ROBERT (1810-1885), Southern states- 

 man and orator, was b.irn at Washington, Wilkes co., 

 (la.. July 2, 1810. He was educated at the University 

 of Georgia and at Union College, N. Y.. and studied 

 law in the University of Virginia. He began the prac- 

 tice of law in 1831, and WPS captain of a company of 

 volunteers in the Creek war in 183d. He was then 

 elected to the State Legislature, and in 1844 he was 

 elected to Congress, where he became a prominent 

 representative of tli2 Whig party. After eight years' 

 service in the lower house he entered the Senate, 

 being now most aggressive in demands for national 

 recognition and support of slavery. After the election 



[of Pres. Lincoln he urged forward the movement for 

 secession in Georgia, and even when the Union party, 

 headed by A. II. Stephens, elected a majority of dele- 

 gates to the State convention, Toombs succeeded in 

 bringing about the passage of an ordinance of recession 

 Jan. 17. 1SC,|. Toombs then withdrew from the Senate 

 wit ha threatening speech, which the Simile some weeks 

 later answered by a resolution expelling him. Mean- 

 time he had I(cen active in the Confederate Congress at 

 Montgomery. Ala., and was a candidate for the presi- 

 dency of the new Confederacy. Jefferson Davis, how- 

 ever, was chosen, and Toombs was made secretary of 

 state. The position was not to his liking, and he ob- 

 tained a commission as a brigadier-general. Though his 

 unwillingness to obey orders rendered him troublesome, 

 he stayed with the army in Virginia until the end of 

 Isi.'J. and then returned to Georgia, where he had 

 command of State troops. At the close of the war he 

 refused to acknowledge the sovereignty of the United 

 States, and went to Europe bv way of Cuba. lie re- 

 turned, however, in I.HG7, aim resumed his law prac- 

 tice. I u: proudly declared himself an " unrepentant 

 rebel." A man of massive frame, he claimed from all 

 he met recognition of his [physical and intellectual 

 superiority. This granted, tie showed himself pat- 

 ronizing and genial, but if denied, he was arrogant and 

 blustering, lie was a kind maMer to his slaves ; he 

 would permit no inn near his residence "Liberty 

 Hall" but welcomed there any stranger who visited 

 the neighborhood. Numerous anecdotes and sayings 

 attest his domineering character in the Senate, but in 

 the history of the Confederacy he left little impression. 

 He died at Washington, Ga., Dec. 25, 1885. 



T< H'EKA, the capital of Kansas, and county-seat of 

 Shawneeeo.. is on the Kansas River, N. lat, 3 1 J 3'. W. 

 long. 95 4</, and fifi miles west of Kansas City. Four 

 railroads, the Union Pacific, the Chicago, Kansas, and 

 Nebraska, the Missouri Pacific, and the Atchison, To- 

 peka, and Santa I'e. furnish abundant, facilities for com- 

 munication and trade with all parts of the Union. Tho 

 city is also well supplied with street railways. It has 

 a handsome capitol, 2 opera-houses, 4 hotels, 4 national 

 banks, 3 other banks, 4 daily and over 20 weekly news- 

 papers. There are'J 7 school-buildings, whose property 

 is valued at $300,000, 2 business colleges, a Catholic 

 seminary, Washburn College(Congrcgationnl), Bethany 

 College for young ladies (Episcopal). _ There are 45 

 churches, comprising nearly every religious denomina- 

 tion, and some possessing fine edifices^. Two bishops 

 Episcopal and Methodist have their residence here. 

 The Prohibition law is enforced and generally approved. 

 Near the city arc the State Asylum for the Insane and 

 the State Kcform School. Besides the machine-shops 



