IN THE EVERGLADES 51 



thrown over them. Should the weather be very warm with consid- 

 erable sunshine, it is preferable to plant after three o'clock in the 

 afternoon only. If the land be new, I would advise by all means 

 to plant with compost in the hill. Well rotted compost should 

 first be carted to different parts of the field and there thoroughly 

 saturated with water. My method is then to have the help drop 

 a fair-sized handful to each hill, and at once press this into the 

 furrow with the ball of the foot. I prefer planting about three 

 to three and one-half feet apart in the row, the rows being five 

 or six feet apart. 



This compost can be dropped during the entire forenoon and 

 the planting accomplished in the afternoon or evening. It is best 

 done by lifting with the four fingers of one hand the compost 

 out of the furrow, putting the rootlets of the plant thereunder 

 and at once pressing the soil back to the original position with the 

 foot, thereby squeezing the liquids contained in the compost 

 around, through and under the rootlets. I have frequently 

 planted as many as 20,000 plants in one day by this method and 

 the loss was less than one-fourth of one per cent. 



I lay particular stress upon the necessity of using great care 

 in procuring an even stand, for with this even stand and with 

 strong plants, other conditions being right, we practically have 

 our crop half made. Great losses are annually incurred by 

 planting spindling, tender or overgrown old plants, and I feel that 

 I cannot emphasize too strongly the importance of being careful 

 to have all the above conditions right. 



In the introduction of new varieties, we owe considerable to 

 the Livingston Seed Company, of Columbus, Ohio, for having 

 produced a number of varieties of great merit and I will venture 

 that more than one-half of our successful tomato growers 'have 

 grown varieties the seed of which was produced by these progres- 

 sive people. Among their latest and most promising introductions 

 are the Globe varieties ; these have everything that is desirable as 

 far as quality, carrying capacity, size and shape are concerned. 



I would advise all growers in experimenting with new varieties 



