History of a club tomato garden by Eula Bolch

First prize won by Miss Eula Bolch, Hickory, N.C. Ula Bolch Judges: J.A. Bowles C.W. Shuford H.A. Banks 1st

History of a Club Tomato Garden. In the early spring ( February, 1912) I joined the Girl's Tomato Club of Catawba County. I had never done real work. By real work I mean work in which I had to put a great deal of time and energy, could do just as I thought best, and would have all the profits as my own to use as I pleased. I received a packet of tomato seeds from the United States Department of Agriculture immediately after joining the Club. The hot bed in which the seeds were sown, March 18, was four feet long and two feet wide, and lay on the north side of a building in order that it may be protected from the cold north winds. Two weeks after sowing the little plants appeared. That plant-bed was enough to discourage anyone. There were scarcely one

2. hundred plants in all. I decided I wold do my very best with these few, as they were better than none, at all. I used some of mother's plants to complete the number I needed. I watered these every evening and sprayed these once each week with the Bordeaux Mixture. When they were about two inches tall (April 27) they were transplanted in a larger bed. They were placed about three inches apart both lengthwise and crosswise. The soil around them was kept loosened with an old fork, and they were still watered and sprayed regularly. When about five inches high they were transplanted a second time (May 1) about four inches apart each way. They were cultivated with the fork and grew up, not very tall, but strong and healthful. They were about ten inches high when they were transplanted in the garden (May 22). With the roots of

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of each plant I took up about twenty-seven cubic inches of soil. It was very hot weather and the soil was almost like ashes, not having had any rain for several weeks. The garden, which was six-by-six feet square, had been well prepared with plenty of barnyard manure, lime, and commercial fertilizer. There were sixteen rows of sixteen hills each, making the rows four feet apart and the hills the same distance. The plants were set in with one pint of water at the roots of each, and, notwithstanding the heat and dry soil, they did not wilt in the least. One plant was cut off at the roots by a worm, but was immediately replaced. Two others were injured by worms entering their bodies, and produced only three or four tomatoes each.

On Saturday (May 25) I loosened the soil around the plants