614 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



purchase them at the lowest price possible. The idea seems to be 

 common that any qualit}' of seeds that will grow is good enough. At 

 most the seeds for an acre cost very little and the best obtainable are 

 none too good. Another cause of serious loss in our locality is the 

 lateness of the setting of the plants. The season with us is not long 

 enough to mature all of the fruit on late kinds and a delay of two 

 or three weeks in planting means a big loss in the fall. 



We sow the seeds for our late tomatoes about March 15th. As 

 soon as the plants are large enough to handle they are pricked 

 out into flats about two inches apart. When thej' begin to crowd 

 they are transplanted either into two-inch pots or into flats again 

 but given more room. If potted the pots are plunged into soil be- 

 tween the tomatoes in the greenhouse. Plants grown in tliis way are 

 stalky and can be planted with a tobacco planter or by hand. We 

 set four acres to this kind of plant in one day last season with the 

 aid of a tobacco planter. No water was used as the soil was in a 

 moist condition. The ground had been marked one way and the 

 boys dropped the plants in the marks. They did a much better job 

 than I expected and while it was some more trouble than it would 

 have been to have rowed them only one way it was a decided advan- 

 tage to be able to cultivate them both ways. Nearly every plant 

 grew thus we secured an excellent stand. 



When the plants are small the cultivating is done with a two- 

 horse cultivator. After the vines begin to spread we cultivate with 

 a one-horse cultivator once in a row. We cultivate to conserve 

 moisture as well as to destroy weeds. If the cultivating is done at 

 the right time and frequently enough no hoeing and little weed pull- 

 ing will be required. If the soil becomes cloddy on the surface it 

 is a good plan to run through the spaces with a plank drag. Women 

 make good pickers and boys and girls can be used also if an older 

 person is with them. We pick in baskets and empty into crates. A 

 flat hay rack or ladders as they are sometimes called, mounted on 

 a low wagon makes a good conveyance for hauling. Springs should 

 be placed under at least one end of the rack. In hauling tomatoes 

 long distances they carry much better in small baskets than in bushel 

 baskets or crates. 



EARLY TOMATOES 



The profitable production of early tomatoes has greater limita- 

 tions than the profitable growing of late tomatoes. Early tomatoes 

 can be grown successfully only on certain soils. Besides the re- 

 quirements which were mentioned for late tomatoes the soil should 

 be what is popularly called an early soil. A sandy loam with a 

 southern exposure is generally considered best for early tomatoes. 

 Clay soils are not well adapted to this purpose. It is also important 

 that the location be near a good market or shipping point. Unless 

 the person w^ho grows early tomatoes has a greenhouse or hotbed 

 in. which to start the plants or can buy them already grown in one of 

 these places his chances of success are slim. 



It is of even greater importance that good seed be secured for 

 early tomatoes than for late. We should not only have a good 

 variety but the best strain of the variety we select obtainable. In 

 my judgment there is much yet to be done in the way of improving 



