1/10 acre farm, tomato club booklet

Lillian Stallings Jackson Springs Moore Co Probably 1912 An early report Moore Co [underlined]

[image of two tomato plants]

1/10 Acre FARM

Lillian Stallings.

How I Grew My Tomatoes.

I always had a great desire to join the Girls Tomato Club since I first heard of it. So last spring when Miss Bradford came to Jackson Springs, I joined the club with several other girls of our school.

I selected my plot down by the railroad. It is black loamy soil, about 66 feet square. I selected this place because I thought it was good land and it was near a small stream which would be convenient in transplanting my plants.

Some time in February the soil was turned with a two-horse plow, then later on the rows were laid off. I used one-third sack of 8-33 fertilizer, when I transplanted the plants.

I hoed my tomatoes three times and had them plowed one time. Just before they began to bloom I pruned my largest ones, but I did not stake them for I did not think they were going to have many tomatoes on

them, and it was so unhandy to stake them.

I did not have any trouble with the insects, but when the plants begame to bloom, they would wilt and die with the blight Miss Bradford came down to see my plot, and advised me to spray them and plant beans or something else. But before I could get my lime most all of them had died so I just pulled all the deads ones up and planted beans, but they did not come up very well.

When the tomatoes that were left began to get ripe I picked out the nicest ones and sold what I could of them, and kept the rest of them for home use. I used the nicest tomatoes in canning and the small rotten-specked ones I fed to the hogs and chickens.

As my beans did not come up very well I did not raise but about two pecks.

I did most of my canning in glass jars as we had a good many emty [empty] jars and I had so far to go before I get them canned.

We did not have many meeting as we lived so far apart; but one time we all meet together and had our pictures taken.

I have learned a great many things about canning which I shall never forget. One thing is not to fill your cans too full of tomatoes, as I had one very sad experience at that.

On account of the blight my crop did not yield but about 258 lbs. of tomatoes and beans together. I used 104 lbs at home sold 30 lbs. fresh, and canned 14 one-half gal. jars of fruit from from [crossed out] farm and orchard and 14 one-half and 4 qts from Club garden besides 30 tin cans.

The cost of work on my plat amounted to $1.25, fertilizer .90 both together = $2.15 profit on one tenth of acre was $4.10.

The Tomato Club work has helped me to know more about canning and saving fruit. Then I have the small profit of $4.10 which payed for the new school books which I had to have this year. I shall try another year in the Club hoping to have better success next year as I am not discouraged yet.

Lillian Stallings, Jackson Springs, N.C.