TREATMENT BEFORE SETTING OUT.

In parts of the State where there is danger of frosts the plants need not be set out until they are almost large enough to bloom. The seed should be sown in seed-beds where they have plenty of sun and can be protected during a cold spell. Plenty of room should be given so the seedlings will not grow spindly. This precaution is rarely ever carried out. As soon as the plants "cover the ground" in the drill of the seed-bed they should be transplanted to a plant-bed; here the rows should be six inches apart and the plants four or five inches in the row. As soon as they cover the ground" again, transplant again. Do not simply remove every other plant and leave half not transplanted; the transplanting is what does the good. This may be objected to as making too much work; let us see whether it pays? Prof. L. H. Bailey, of Cornell University, has tested this for several years, and finds that in 1891 the date of the first picking was nineteen days earlier, and, on the whole, the crop was decidedly heavier.

A similar test was made at the Georgia Experiment Station by Prof. Speth. The seed was sown in hot-beds. When the plants became crowded one portion of the hot-bed was thinned until the plants were four inches apart; another portion of the plants was transplanted to the same distance. When the plants became crowded again, the portion transplanted before was again transplanted, and the other thinned out, so as to give them exactly the same distance. In the hot-beds the culture and fertilizer were the same. Both sets of plants were planted out at the same time and treated alike in the field. The ones transplanted twice were earlier by six or eight days, and gave an increased yield of 25 per cent.*

LEGGY, OR DRAWN PLANTS,

as a rule, do not amount to much. When they are planted in the field much valuable time is lost in setting and in waiting for their recovery. If these must be set out it has been found better to make a deep hole, and set in an upright position, or as near upright as possible, and not leave so much top that it cannot stand up well.

*Ga. Exp. Sta., B. 17.

SETTING OUT.

By the process of transplanting several times the plants are made stocky. This gives an advantage also when it comes to setting out in the field. The fibrous roots, in place of being long and stringy are short, stout and matted together. The condition of the stem is a fair index of what the roots are; if there is a long sickly stem, you are quite sure that there is not a healthy, heavy mat of roots. A heavy bunch of roots carries considerable dirt with it; enough often to support the plant until new roots are formed, and there will be scarcely any shock to the plant from replanting. There are a number of ways for planting. Many use the "peg and bucket" style. Every tomato grower knows exactly what it means to have a lame back. Help for this kind of work is often scarce and many times cannot be had. When a person plants and waters an acre in a day he does enough, if it is done well.

MACHINE FOR TRANSPLANTING.

Several machines have been invented to overcome this "back-breaking" operation. A machine similar to the one figured on the opposite page has been used at Lake City by the tobacco growers. It is, however, equally well adapted for setting out tomatoes, egg-plants, cabbage, sweet potatoes, or any other vegetable. There is a decided advantage in using the machine over the "peg and bucket."

THE OPERATION.

An opening is made, the intended quantity of water dropped, the plant set in this water and the dirt pressed firmly about the plant; all done while the team is walking along. By referring to the picture you will see the tank for carrying water. Just above and forward of this is the driver's seat.By this it will be understood that the picture shows the machine as seen from behind. On each side of the tank is a broad, flat wheel to keep the machine from sinking into the soil. Just below are the seats for two boys. The covers of the wheels and two back stays secure them in their places. The improved machines have an attachment to regulate the movements of the boys' hands in setting, so the plants are placed at perfectly regular intervals. A drag at the side makes a mark to guide the driver while planting the

next row. The shoe attachment is shown connected to the machine, while the wheels are shown separately and disconnected behind the machine. The whole contrivance is so simple that any tomato grower can appreciate it. The boys can do their work easily from the first. The amount that one is able to plant in a day depends altogether upon the conditions and the man running the machine.* If the tomatoes be planted 4x4 feet, six or eight acres may be planted in a single day on land in good

condition.

Use of Chemical Analysis.

A good chemical analysis of any plant makes an index of what the plant needs from the soil and air. Now, if we have at hand the analysis of our soil, and know what the plant obtains from the air, we can compare these with the analysis of the plant and know with some certainty what should be added to the soil to grow the plants. Often certain elements are present, but are not in the proper combination to be appropriated, and hence may be no more available than as though they were not in the soil at all. The elements usually wanting in our soil are nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash. Too much of any one element of plant food is not only useless but often a direct detriment.†

AMOUNT OF DIFFERENT ELEMENTS REMOVED FROM SOIL.

Chemical analysis shows that for every pound of tomato (N. J. Exp. Sta., B. 63) removed from the ground .00152 pounds of nitrogen is carried off. Putting the crop of an acre at 200 crates of 60 pounds each, there would be removed from the soil a little more than 18 pounds of nitrogen. This nitrogen had to be in some available form for the plant.

The amount of phosphoric acid in a pound of tomatoes is .000661, a little more than one half as much by weight as nitrogen; or nearly two-thirds of a pound for every thousand pounds

*The machine figured is the New Bemis, made by Stoddard Manufacturing Com pany, Dayton, Ohio. Prof. B. F. Moodie, President of the Florida Tobacco Growers Association and President of the National Cigar Leaf Association, of Lake City, Fla., is State agent for the machine. Prof. Moodie will set up and put into operation all planters bought of him.

For a fine discussion on this subject, see B. 20, Fla. Agr. Exp. Sta., by Prof. A. A. Persons.

of tomatoes removed. If the crop per acre be the same as above stated, there would be removed from every acre 7.932 pounds of phosphoric acid; or, putting it in whole figures, it would be 8 pounds per acre. That is, 8 pounds of available phosphoric acid is shipped away in 200 crates of tomatoes, and must be placed on the acre of ground again or the land be that much poorer.

The amount of potash in every pound of tomato is .0020786. Comparing this as we did in previous cases, we learn that for every thousand pounds of tomato a little over two pounds of potash is removed. Placing the yield at two hundred crates of 60 pounds, 24.96 pounds of potash are taken out of the soil and sold. We may put this in whole numbers and say 25 pounds are removed with 200 crates of tomatoes. Then, stating it briefly, we remove 18 pounds of nitrogen, 8 pounds of phosphoric acid and 25 pounds of potash from the field with every 200 crates of tomatoes.

COMPARED WITH OTHER CROPS.

A crop of tomatoes removes twice as much potash and over 50 per cent. more nitrogen than either a crop of Irish potatoes or sweet potatoes, and nearly twice as much phosphoric acid as Irish potatoes, and more than four times as much as sweet potatoes.

EFFECT OF VARYING THE FERTILIZING ELEMENTS.

Numerous tests have been made to see what effect a variation in the amount of different elements of fertilizer would have upon the qualities of the fruit. The difference is much less than was thought it would be; indeed, different samples from the same plots show nearly as much variation as samples from different plots. In general, it seems that an abundance of potash has a tendency to produce fruit with slightly less sugar and more acid; and phosphoric acid a tendency to sweeten, while nitrogen produces luxuriant growth.*

AMOUNT OF FERTILIZER IN VINES.

The vines of an acre contain about 28 pounds of nitrogen, 4 pounds of phosphoric acid and 34 pounds of potash. This is the amount, if it is all saved to the soil, but if the vines are

*cf. Md. B. 11, p. 63.