Jackson B. Hester 297 



One hundred and twenty-five thousand plants are expected to be 

 pulled from each acre of ground. A chemical analysis of these plants 

 reveals that they contain approximately 6.4 pounds of calcium, 2 of 

 magnesium, 10 of nitrogen, 3 of phosphoric acid, 13 of potassium oxide, 

 less than 1 pound of iron, and approximately 0.2 pound of manganese. 

 The total dry weight is about 400 pounds. It is therefore obvious from 

 the amount of fertilizer applied that the plants utilized only a small 

 proportion of it. This is undoubtedly due to mechanical distribution, 

 unpulled plants left in the field, and leaching. 



An ideal plant for shipment is 6 to 9 inches high and analyzes ap- 

 proximately 90 per cent water, 2.3 per cent nitrogen on the dry weight 

 basis, 0.8 per cent phosphoric acid, 3.9 per cent potassium oxide, 1.6 per 

 cent calcium, 0.5 per cent magnesium, 235 parts per million of iron, 

 and 40 parts per million of manganese. The chemical composition of 

 the plant is extremely important. Plants that carry too much water or 

 excessive concentrations of nitrogen are soft and do not ship well nor 

 live after being transplanted in the fields. 



Plants are also grown in Nevada, Texas, Tennessee, and Virginia. 

 In Texas and Nevada the pH value of the soil is approximately 8.0. 

 The soil carries tremendous quantities of calcium, magnesium, potas- 

 sium, and sodium, but is deficient in nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and 

 minor elements like manganese and iron. The problem, however, 

 becomes not so much one of plant nutrition as of supplying water in 

 sufficient quantities and getting the plants to sufficient size to ship at 

 the proper time. 



Many local plants are grown in hotbeds, greenhouses, and open 

 fields. It is sufficient to say that the problems encountered in the grow- 

 ing of Georgia and Texas tomato plants are also involved in the grow- 

 ing of local plants in each territory. While this is in no way a full 

 account on tomato plant production, it does serve to point out the 

 different problems involved in plant production and their importance 

 to tomato production. 



TOMATO PRODUCTION 



The plant nutrient requirements of a large yield of tomatoes are 

 very great. The average yield of tomatoes in the eastern part of the 

 United States over a ten-year period, 1935 to 1944, was 5 tons per acre. 



