Girls club, tomato club booklet by Minnie Selma Wilson

Some of my snap beans. [Image of green snap beans hanging from a vine.] [Image of a large red tomato.] One of my tomatoes. Minnie Selma Wilson. [Image of a flower with four petals.]

History of My Tomatoes. By Minnie Selma Wilson.

Page [1]. History of My Tomatoes. My garden contains one tenth of an acre. It is located on the slope of a small grey soil hill, near our dwelling. The first thing I had to do towards my garden this year was to sow my seed and get my plants to growing. So about the first of March my Father sowed my seeds, the Stone and Woods Early in his tobacco plant bed. About this time I also sowed some of the same kind of seeds in a box and kept it in the house, careing for them giving them a plenty of sunshine and water. These came up quickly, and was doing well when one cold night my old pet cat got in the room and sat in my box somewhat injuring my plants. As soon as I found out this of course I straightened them up again and they were soon growing all right.

Page [2]. After I got my plants to growing the next thing to do was to prepare my land. So about the first of May (when a good season finally did come) I had my land broke and one one horse load of manure put on. No I had to wait for a good season to transplant my plants, which came about a week later. Then I had to have land laid off in row about four (4) feet apart and one hundred (100) pounds of guano, Gilt Edge put in the rows. On this same day I made my hills about three (3) feet apart. Now I drew my plants from the plant bed and also some from my box and transplanted them, having enough for about one third of my garden. On this same day I planted some "green pod string beans." My snap beans came up quickly, and grew very well but my tomatoes did not live very well, and I had to replant them several times before a could get a good stand but before I could

Page [3] replant I had to wait for a good season which came at last about the first of June but by this time most of my plants had given out, and I did not have enough to complete my garden so I got some from my neighbor, but they were not good. When they ripened they were about the size of a hickory nut. Of course this caused waste for I could not can them but I preserved a few before they ripened. On the day (June 2nd) I finished planting my garden I found my first bloom and tomato. About this time my garden was ploughed with the cultivator and I worked them. As they were so very grassy it took me a good little while to grass and work them. I worked very early in the morning and late in the afternoons for about a week and finally finished with the