68 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [P. D. 4. 



The filled barrels are hauled out with wagons. Some heads are 

 destroyed, especially when turning the ends, but the loss is 

 nothing in comparison to the expense of carrying the cabbage 

 out by hand. 



Tomatoes. 



Tomatoes are an important crop with the market gardener. 

 As the early tomato produces greater returns per acre, it is the 

 one that receives more attention from the grower. The con- 

 dition of the plants at the time of setting has a great deal to do 

 with the profitableness of the crop. The plants should be about 

 ten weeks old when set in the field. I would rather have a plant 

 that is showing bud nicely than one that is in bloom. Tomatoes 

 should be transplanted at least twice before they are ready for 

 the field, the idea being to develop a stocky plant. This can be 

 accomplished better by withholding water than by exposure to 

 low temperature. A stunted tomato plant is worthless. An 

 oversupply of nitrogenous fertilizers will prove detrimental; it 

 will force top growth at the expense of the fruit. On many 

 market gardens, where the area is limited and the soil has been 

 receiving heavy applications of manure and fertilizers, it be- 

 comes necessary to stake and prune the vines. Staked tomatoes 

 produce the bulk of the crop earlier and the fruit is smoother 

 and less liable to crack, but they are more likely to suffer from 

 drought. Where one is making a specialty of staked tomatoes, 

 it is important to have facilities for irrigation at the critical 

 time. All the large growers that I know of have developed a 

 strain of tomatoes that they consider the best in the world. I 

 believe they are right. After a few years of careful selection 

 one has a type that is peculiarly adapted to his local environ- 

 ments. We use Earliana and Chalk's Jewel. Earliana has 

 proved the money maker with us. Chalk's Jewel is used for 

 later crop. 



Celery. 



Celery is another of our hobbies. For early celery we use 



White Plume. The quality is poor, but consumers down our 



way are willing to pay good money for it early in the summer. 



It is a rapid grower, and is not nearly so liable to heart rot as 



• most other varieties. 



