Edible Products. 292 



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the Christmas market the seed should be sown early in September. The seed should 

 be sown in rows three or four inches apart across the seed beds. Sow the seed 

 thickly so as to have a good stand of young plants. To produce plants enough to set 

 one acre of ground sow at least one ounce of good seed. When the seedlings have 

 the first rough leaves started, or are from one to two inches high, they should be 

 transplanted into another bed. In transplanting it is best to set them in check rows 

 four inches each way. In transplanting be sure to make the soil firm around each 

 plant. The young seedlings should be watered thoroughly and covered with the 

 shades for a few days until they have struck root. The plants should be carefully 

 hoed and watered so as to keep them in vigorous growth. We want strong plants 

 from eight to ten inches high to set in the field. A little extra work pays, for the 

 success of a tomato crop depends upon having vigorous plants to start with. Our 

 observation in Cuba has been that too many vegetable growers are contented with 

 weak, spindling, poorly grown plants. We believe this is a mistake and that far 

 better results will be obtained if more pains are taken to grow healthy, stocky plants. 



SOIL AND ITS PREPARATION. 



The tomato is exceedingly cosmopolitan as to soil. During the past season 

 we have seen very good tomatoes upon nearly all classes of Cuban lands, but they do 

 best where the soil is mellow, loose, and well-drained, and do not succeed upon low 

 wet soils unless well-drained. We believe that the black, mxilattoand rich sandy 

 soils are best for commercial purposes. 



The preparation of the soil is a very important part of the work, and one 

 that is often neglected. Nothing pays so well as to have the ground well prepared 

 for the crop.^ It should be plowed deep so as to turn all the weeds, grass, etc., under 

 the surface. £ After plowing, follow with a good harrow and work the surface down 

 as smooth and mellow as possible. Some f orm of a spring-tooth harrow will be found 

 best for this work. During the dry season the fields should be harrowed very often 

 so as to preserve as much of the soil moisture as possible. The finer the earth the 

 less surface there is exposed for evaporation by the action of the sun and wind. 



SETTING THE PLANTS. 



As soon as the land is in good shape the plants should be set. The usual 

 distance is four feet each way. One of the most convenient methods of setting 

 tomato plants is to lay the ground off every four feet with a furrow. A single shovel 

 plow is the best tool for this work. Now if we have followed the method suggested 

 of having our beds of transplanted plants located over the field, the question of 

 setting out is a very simple one. The beds of plants should be thoroughly wet so 

 that the soil will stick together. Then the frame of the bed should be knocked away 

 and, with a long knife, the soil should be cut in four inch squares, with a plant in 

 the centre of each. Take a thin spade and shove under each plant and lift it into a 

 light hand barrow. When the hand barrow is filled with plants two men carry it to 

 the rows and set out the plants in the bottom of the furrow. Two men follow with 

 hoes and cover the roots, making the soil firm around them. By being careful the 

 plants can be transplanted from the frames to the field and very few of them 

 will ever wilt or know they have been moved. As soon as a field is set it 

 should be gone over with a cultivator and with hoes, for nothing starts a plant 

 to growing as well as the frequent hoeing and cultivating of the surface soil. 

 Too much care cannot be taken to see that the plants are carefully and properly set. 



CULTIVATION. 



This is one of the most important parts in the production of a successful 

 vegetable crop of any kind, and probably the one most neglected. Few farmers 

 can see the value of careful, frequent, and thorough cultivation of the soil. Many 

 consider that if they have cultivated once in two or three weeks to kill the weeds, 



