No. 1. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 613 



One of the most successful growers in our locality discontinued 

 growing for the factory recently because he found that the distance 

 he was obliged to haul, about four miles, reduced the profits to too 

 low a figure. The distance which a grower can afford to haul to- 

 matoes to the factory will depend very largely upon the character 

 of the road over which he must haul. Tomatoes can be grown pro- 

 fitable at factory prices only when the soil is in a condition capable 

 of producing at least 200 bushels or six tons per acre. Even at this 

 figure the profits are small. If 350 or 400 bushels can be grown the 

 profits are very satisfactory. Another drawback to the growing of 

 tomatoes for the factory in some places is the difficulty of securing 

 sufficient labor at picking time. 



These limitations will apply equally well to the growing of late 

 tomatoes for the city markets. The labor problem is even grfe:iter 

 than when growing for the factory owing to the extra labor required 

 in the cleaning, grading and packing of the fruit. With a given 

 amount of help a considerable larger area can be grown for the fac- 

 tory than for the city market. 



We have been growing tomatoes for the factory at $8.00 per ton 

 or about 24 cents per bushel. Our place is two and one-half miles 

 from the factory and twelve miles from a city market. I con- 

 sider this price comparable with 50 cents per bushel in the city. 

 This dift'erence would be somewhat reduced if we were nearer the 

 city market. It is quite a satisfaction to know that all of the crop 

 is sold even if the price is low as is the case when contracting to a 

 factory. 



THE SOIL 



Late tomatoes can be grown successfully on a wide range of soils. 

 A sandy loam is perhaps to be preferred to any other type although 

 a clay loam is very satisfactory. In any case the soil should be 

 well supplied with available plant food and organic matter. A 

 poorly drained soil is to be avoided as is one that dries out too 

 easily. An application of stable manure supplemented with phos 

 phoric acid and potash and in some cases nitrogen will increase 

 the yield on nearly all soils. The amount of manure or commercial 

 fertilizer which it will be profitable to apply will depend on the 

 previous treatment of the soil. When the soil is rich and full of 

 humus the application should be comparatively light as too much 

 available plant food in the soil will grow vines at the expense of 

 fruit. With us the Stone is grown more than any other variety. 

 If it could be bred or selected so that it would begin bearing two 

 weeks earlier it would be an ideal tomato for the factory or city 

 market. 



There is no greater mistake made in connection with tomato grow- 

 ing than the setting of small spindling plants. This mistake is 

 more commonly made by those who grow for the factory because 

 of the poor facilities which they frequently have for the growing of 

 the plants. When the factory people raise the plants themselves 

 they often grow them too thickly and thus send them out in bad 

 condition. 



Another serious mistake is the carelessness about the source of 

 the seed supply. When the company furnish the seeds they often 



