150 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



seed sown as late as July 17. If the corn fodder is of good size 

 the ears will fill out considerably after being cut by a hard frost. 

 The large number of ears whicli will mature after a hard frost will 

 greatly surprise one. 



Sweet corn is sometimes started in pots in a greenhouse or hotbed, 

 and then hardened off and set in the field. By this system sweet corn 

 may be had ready to market bj' July 7. 



Some market gardeners raise a little of the yellow varieties of 

 sweet corn, but the market demand for them up to this time is very 

 limited. Golden Bantam and Oi'dways Yellow seem to be the most 

 jiopular, the latter having the larger ear. 



Tomatoes. 



This is a crop most easily grown, a great money producer and 

 usually vei-y satisfactory. We need to have good plants, of good 

 variety and set early in order to get the best returns. No one who 

 cultivates an acre of tomatoes should be satisfied until he is able to 

 raise and sell a crop which will make a gross return of .$900 per 

 acre. The average returns are not over $400 per acre. 



There are many varieties of tomatoes to select from. Often some 

 local variety or strain will be found most profitable. The writer has 

 found Sparks Earliana, Chalks Jewel and Stone three very satis- 

 factory varieties. The Earliana comes large and early, and will 

 make a very heavy crop before the price goes off. Chalks Jewel is 

 also a heavy cropper, very smooth, a good second early variety and 

 a good money maker. The Stone is no better than Chalks Jewel, 

 but is a little later and possibly a little larger plant. The Earliana 

 is well adapted to growing on rich land and is a good market-garden 

 variety. 



To get good plants start them by February 22 in a hotbed, and 

 transplant as soon as the second leaves appear. Keep growing with 

 plenty of air, to make sure of a stocky plant. About the middle of 

 April transplant to a hotbed with mild heat, say 4 to 6 inches of 

 manure, and set the plants 50 plants to a sash. In a few days go 

 over the beds and nij) out the growing top of every plant, so as to 

 make the side shoots appear. This nipping will cause several branches 

 to start, and when the i)lant is ready to set in the field there will be 

 from three to five branches, and all in bloom, or with fruit on, and 

 the plants will stand fully 15 inches high. 



In preparing the field for tomatoes plow deeply and harrow and 

 level. Furrow out deeply one way and cross mark the other. Set 

 the plants down deep and hoe in the manure around each plant as 

 set. Manuring in the hill is very satisfactory Avith tomatoes. Plants 

 of Earliana should be set 3 by 4 feet, Chalks Jewel 31/2 by 5 feet 

 and Stone 4 by 6 feet. 



If the season is one when the vines make a rank growth they 



