311 ■:j,l^:^L.i'::ii- li-TSTRUCTIONS TO 



MAYLANDS SMALLHOLDERS 



month leave air on at night, and the last week the lights 

 may be removed altogether. The weather must be 

 carefully watched, as May is a very changeable and 

 treacherous month; it is very usual for frosts and cold 

 weather to return about the middle of the month, and 

 protection must be given if necessary. 



"The ground where the tomatoes are to be set out, 

 should have been prepared during the winter by digging 

 or deep ploughing; a moderate dressing of natural 

 manure should have been added if the ground is poor, 

 but the groimd which has previously been heavily ma- 

 nured and cropped with vegetables will be preferable, 

 no manure being added for the tomatoes. After digging, 

 give a dressing of basic slag 10 cwt. to the acre. Have 

 all finished not later than end of February. 



"About the middle of May, if the ground is dry, dress 

 with sulphate of potash 1 hundredweight and sulphate 

 of iron, ground fine, i hundredweight to the acre, then 

 go over all with a hoe and chop down all weeds and level 

 aU hollows; do not rake. At each end of each row, 

 where it is intended to plant the tomatoes, drive in a 

 pointed stake of 2 by 4 in. broadway to the row, at a 

 slight angle away. The stake should enter the ground 

 2 ft. and stand out 1 ft. 9 in. Then in direct line with 

 the stakes, at intervals of 10 ft. drive in studding boards 

 I inch X 2 in. X 2 ft. 6 in. long, to stand out of ground 

 1 ft. 9 in. The narrow way of the board should be 

 in the line of the row. J^ow fix 16s gauge galvanized 

 wire to the stake at one end, and draw tight and fix to 

 stake at the other end. Fix wire to top of stakes by 



