CHAPTER 



| J^ Production of Vege- 

 table Crops forthe Can- 

 ning Industry* 



JACKSON 6. HESTER 



T 



he monetary value of the vegetable crops primarily 

 used in the canning industry has assumed tremendous proportions. For 

 example, approximately 600,000 acres of tomatoes are grown in the 

 United States, a considerable proportion of which is used by the can- 

 ning industry. Assuming the approximate average yield as five tons 

 per acre, this crop compares with the monetary value of all of the wheat 

 grown in the North and South Atlantic States. This, of course, does 

 not take into consideration the monetary value of other vegetable crops 

 such as carrots, beans, peas, cauliflower, and many others. 



The amounts of plant nutrients consumed by these crops are enor- 

 mous and of great economic importance. In the production of the 

 tomato crop alone, the plants absorb approximately 13,650 tons of cal- 

 cium, 2250 of magnesium, 16,050 of nitrogen, 1500 of sulfur, 5100 of 

 phosphoric acid, 30,000 of potassium oxide, 68 of iron, 98 of manganese, 

 8 of boron, 12 of copper, and 18 tons of zinc. Considering the different 

 climatic and soil conditions under which these crops are grown, scien- 

 tific and practical problems of great significance are encountered. This 

 article will be largely the consideration of those practical and scientific 

 problems encountered in the production of vegetable crops in the 

 various sections of the United States as observed by the writer. 



TOMATO PLANT PRODUCTION 



About two billion plants are required for 600,000 acres of tomatoes. 



* Because of the general and more practical nature of this paper, literature cita- 

 tions have been omitted. 



