100 years ago: Professor offers advice to Lawrence tomato growers
From the Lawrence Daily Journal-World for June 22, 1912:
“Only one of a party of eight who were passengers of an auto that overturned on the Eudora road yesterday evening is injured. W. T. Esco, the owner and driver of the car at the time of the accident was pinned beneath the car and suffered painful bruises on his hip. The others almost miraculously escaped with nothing more than a bad fright…. The Esco car is a large seven passenger Mitchell. It was brought into town last night for repairs with its own motive power. The fenders are badly bent, the lights are broken, the dash board is broken off and the top is slightly damaged. Auto men this morning stated that they could not account for the accident saying that it was simply due to skidding of the wheels. The road at the place where the accident occurred is in good condition, and there were no chains on the wheels.”
“‘To the Tomato Growers of Lawrence: This wet weather will cause the tomatoes to grow too much vine. Then the hot sun will cause the blossoms to drop off and the crop will be small. Pick off the end of the branches just above the second cluster of buds, also pick off the sprouts in close proximity to the buds, so the strength of the branch will go into the fruit. The new growth near the ground should be allowed to grown laterally to help support the branches that are bearing fruit and provide buds for the later crop. Tomatoes that are pruned in this way every ten days will yield large fruit. The writer has picked tomatoes from his vines, during a wet season, that weight one pound each. Respectfully, Prof. Frank E. Ward.'”
“It seems likely that the Presidential nomination will be made this evening. The Journal-World has arranged with the Lawrence Railway & Light Company to flash the results to the people. It seems certain at this writing that Taft will be re-nominated. If he is the light will flash just once; if Roosevelt, which is not at all likely, two flashes; and if a dark horse, for which many are praying, three flashes.”