Tomato Club

Revah Alderman. Clinton, N.C.

[image of two turnips] Turnip.

Our Motto: is. To Make the Best Better.

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October. 13. 1915.

This is my second years experience as a "tomato club girl". And will not be my last.

In February I begun to prepare my soil for my tenth acre of tomatoes. First I had the ground broken up with a two horse plow twelve inches deep. Then I had a two horse wagon load of stable manure broadcast over the land. Next we cut that in with a disk harror [?] I let the ground stand for a while. till I planted my seed.

I planted: the Stone Tomato seed as you all know in a hot bed. They soon come up and grew rapidly. When they were nearly about three inches tall. I went to the bed and thinned out all I thought were too thick and stirred the little plants left.

The grew fast and were soon large enough to sit out. I had my rows laid off three ft. apart. sowed my fertilizer. ridged up the rows. Then I sat my plants out two feed apart They did nicely. After awhile I went in and pruned my bushes as

[2] best I know. I cut out one or two limbs of the bush that were not hte main fruit bearing branch. Well I thought my tomatoes were doing as nicely I would not have to spray at all. By oh my that dreadful old disease the tomato wilt visited my garden. And when it got ready to leave you bet I did not insist on it staying longer, for I felt like my garden was finally ruined. There I found my mistake in not spraying my plants as we were ask to do. Any way I earned a good many for home use. But did not have any red enough for market, and as I said above the wilt took a good number of my bushes. Now I shall close by saying I have enjoyed the club work these two years and feeling I have been very gratefully beautified by being a member as we have had such noble leaders these two years. Mrs. Lamb & Peterson.

Revah Alderman. Clinton, N.C. Sampson Co:

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We Work and we fret, Because we can't get, The prick [?] for our products, we think we out to get. We'll soon learn, that to act unconcerned, will soon obtain what we should we [crossed out] should [crossed out] have yet.

Oct. 6. 1916 I joined the tomato club because I thought it was a good thing of my own my tenth of an acre was on good rich soil I had it broke up real deep and used about one third of a sack of guano the only fertilizer I used I sowed my hot bed the second day of april and set my tomatoes out the fiftenth of may I did not hoe my tomatoes a time they were only plowed twice my plants did not have any diseases I gathered my tomatoes in large tubs and took then put red ones in cans together and the pale together marked the pale ones I did not grow any together on my tenth except tomatoes We had lots of fun at our meetings we did our canning under a shelter on in the woods in the shade we kept our yard clean for we had company nearly every day we canned on day we were canning and I was [illegible] one day and the canner pipe fell out and had to wait till the canner got [illegible] and we had done fun awhill the canner was call I have learn late about canning the club work has helped me in [illegible]

ways

I do not know how much profit I have on my tenth for I have not sold my tomatoes

Anna McBaggett

mingo club

Sampson County

Oct. 6 1915 I joined the tomato club to learn how to can and to make some money of my own. My tenth of an acre was on good rich soil. I had broke up read deep and used about one tird of a sack of guano the only fertilizer I used. I sowed my hot bed the second day of april and set my tomatoes out the fiftenth of May. I did not hoe my tomatoes a time they were only plowered twice My plants did not have any diseases and I gathered my tomatoes in a large tub and took them out in small baskets and scaulded them [crossed out] put the red ones in cans togethers and the pales ones together marked the pale ones. I did not grow anything on my tenth of an acre except tomatoes. We had lots of fun at our meeting we did our canning under a shelter out in the woods in the shade we kept our yard clean for we had company nearly every day we canned. I have learned lots about canning the club work has helped me in several ways. Aldon Baggett Mingo Club

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History of My Work done at canning club. Our club was organized so late in the season, until I did not have my one tenth acre, so I canned from mamma's garden and papa's orchard.

I Joined the canning club because I wanted to know how to can so I could help mamma. and so I could do canning and let her rest. I alse wanted to feel like I was some good in the world, while I know whe[crossed out] we should have some pleasure, I also know we should know how to work and be ready for business when we are needed, and I feel so greatful to the agent [Miss Nin Boney] Ma [?] taught me how to can. I can seal and tip can perfectly, I am so glad to say. Tomatoes should be gathered when just ripe but not to ripe, in packing the same ripe should be packed together