Franklin county club

Franklin County Club.

Tomato Club Work.

I selected and measured one tenth acre. of land which was of a light gray soil that had previously had [crossed out] been well cultivated. Failing to get my seed sowed in time. My friends and neighbors rallied to my aid and gave me plants for my entire plot.

By this time a ton of good barn yard manure had been strewn and well plowed in with a large plow drawn by two heavy mules.

I then had rows run off four feet wide in the middle of which about forty pounds of F. S. Royster, 3-8-3 guano was drilled : it was then bedded and made ready for the plants. After a shower of rain in the middle of may, I set my plants

three and one half feet apart and with the exception of a few, they all lived and grew rapidly. I had them plowed several times but hoed them only once.

For experiment I pruned one row and found those that I didn't prune much better tomatoes.

When the plants first began to bloom I discovered that the tobacco worms were making havoc with my plants. I soon found a remidy [remedy] for this by spraying with Arsenate of dead.

We had tomatoes ripe for table use about the last of July which we served raw with a little salt, sugar, and Vinegar.

About the first of Aug. X I began to fill my cans

in a home made canner with the capacity of twinty-four [twenty-four] single and forty-eight double.

My Supervisor came to help and show me how to do the work: first we put water in the canner, kindled the fire, then went to gather the tomatoes.

We next filled the containers (not too full) with nice ripe tomatoes, lowered them into the hot boiling water and blanched them for one minute; taking them out of the hot water we put them in a tub of cold water to cool. Now for the fun of peeling, packing, tipping and capping!

Every member of the family wanted to help, from father, mother, nineteen year old

to four year old sister.

We had lots of fun and were glad for canning days to come.

I brought five hundred cans but filled only about three hundred. I also put up one hundred qt[letter crossed out] in glass for home use, and fourty qt[letter crossed out] in catsup. Making a total of four hundred and forth qt[letter crossed out] avering two and one half pounts to the qt.

The remainder of my cans I expect to fill with sweet potatoes.