Tomato club, 1915 by Bertie Pate

Tomato Club

1915

Bertie Pate Age 16

1 [circled]

I joined the tomato club because I wanted to learn more about canning. To have pleasure out of it, and to have money so I can have some to spend when I sell them

I only had one tenth of a cre. It was beside the road. It was sandy soil. It was the most convenient place I could have gotten.

It was broken up the first of January. The manure was put on in March and listed up the rows were run off in March.

I put between nineteen and twenty hundred pounds of stable menure on my tenth.

I grew my plants in a hot bed. And were transplanted only once. I picked it twice. And watered it every week.

I chopped them and plowed them. I pruned them once.

They had the Black rot. I only sprayed them once.

I lost some on account of sickness and having to work in the tobacco. I canned the rest of them. I served the table with them. I did not have eny other vegetable in my garden.

2 [circled]

I canned at home in a number sixteen canner. I did not make any catsup or can any thing except tomatoes. I sld my tomatoes under the 4. H Brand which means that I am develop ing my hands, head, health and heart.

Miss Scott came down and we all met to gether at Snow Hill I met all of the club girls and we served dinner. We had a very nice time. Miss Eavans came down here. We met to gether and in joyed her talk very much. When she got through we went down town.

I saved about four hundred pounds of tomatoes. I lost about three hundred pounds of tomatoes every thing was given to me. It did not cost me eny thing at all.

My profite was twelve dalars and twenty cents.

I think it [illegible crossed out] has helped me very much it learned me how to cultivate tomatoes. It learned me how to can on the canner.

Our canning club ex hibit helped me as well as letters from the Dept. of agri and our co. agent, Miss [Wooten?].