THE TOMATO IN THE SOUTH. 



lOI 



roses and roofed with wistaria, with hanging fringes of 

 the purple flower. I see balconies rimmed with plants ; 

 and one tall chimney that rises from a low building lifts 

 itself within reach of a high window whose owner has 

 utilized the top by placing a row of flower-pots along it, 

 and the plants are thriving. 



Beyond, the dome of a cathedral broods over the scene, 

 and is the only glory in sight that we could not have in 

 New York, if we cared for outside beauty and were 



not such an indoor people. To adopt an idea of Du 

 Maurier's, it is good to fall asleep nights with the 

 thought that the garden is there, and all that beauty 

 waiting for me to waken up to. 



Alas! I wake to find myself, with chin in hand, gazing 

 gloomily out on shabby brick walls and wooden fences 

 enclosing little squares of yards, with only, in the whole 

 block interior, an occasional spot of ill-kept grass and 

 one ailantus-tree. Olive Lusk Monro. 



THE TOMATO IN THE SOUTH. 



HOW TO ENRICH IHE SOIL FOR IT. 



SOIL overrich in humus or 

 nitrogen ought not to be 

 chosen for tomatoes. While 

 the plants adapt themselves 

 to almost any kind of soil 

 under judicious fertilizing and 

 cultivation, and yield more or 



less fruit according to the influences of weather and 

 insect enemies, ma.ximum results are to be obtained 

 only from soils that promote a healthy growth of 

 vine and a normal setting of fruit in proportion to 

 the size of the vine. A black soil rich in nitrogenous 

 matter but lacking a full supply of the essential 

 mineral elements can not be expected to produce 

 as much fruit as one rich in mineral elements. An 

 excessively luxuriant growth of vine is not to be 

 encouraged, for there may be more vine than fruit, 

 especially when much rain falls after the fruit has 

 set. I have found a gray soil rich in the mineral 

 elements, either naturally or made so by proper ap- 

 plications, and with just enough nitrogen to pro- 

 duce a medium-sized vine, the best adapted for the 

 production of a crop of fruit least likely to be im- 

 paired by the damaging influence of too much 

 moisture. 



The boll-worm and excessive moisture are the greatest 

 enemies to this crop in our climate, and excessive 

 luxuriance of vine invites injury from these causes. 

 Instead of the richest soil for this crop I would much 



prefer every time to select thai of medium fertility, and 

 fit it for the crop by a fertilizer that would supply the 

 elements of food in the right proportions to make 

 medium-sized vines that will carry all the fruit possible, 

 and to increase the number of vines per acre. 



Long experience has shown the superiority of a 

 mixture for tomatoes made up m about the following 

 proprortions : Superphosphate, containing 15 per cent, 

 of available phosphoric acid, 1,000 pounds; kainit, 

 analyzing 12 per cent, potash, 750 pounds ; nitrate of 

 soda, containing 16 per cent, of nitrogen, 250 pounds. 



This formula is used merely as an illustration showing 

 the proportions of the three essential elements. Any 

 materials can be used in lieu of these substances to fur- 

 nish these elements, due allowance being made for the 

 difference in the per centage they may contain. Other 

 forms of potash salts, or cotton-seed hull ashes, etc., 

 may be used to furnish potash, and dried blood or cotton- 

 seed-meal may be substituted for nitrate of soda. The 

 important thing is that about 150 pounds of soluble 

 phosphoric acid, 90 pounds of potash, and 48 pounds of 

 nitrogen be furnished the soil in applying a ton of 

 fertilizer. A ton or a ton and a half of such fertilizer, 

 lightly harrowed into the soil a few weeks-before the 

 plants are set out, will put soil of medium fertility in 

 good shape for growing a big crop. 



Rank, unfermented manure should not be applied 

 directly to tomatoes. Where it is intended to use such 

 manure, it should be thoroughly composted previous to 

 application. 



Cook Co., Georgia. Samuel A. Cook. 



