FERTILIZERS AND TOMATOES, 59 
lack of nourishment. Up to this date the plants had been 
growing in the natural soil three weeks longer than in the 
artificial soil. The total yield of the plants in natural soil, 
up to July 16th, is also given, though after the middle of 
April there is little or no profit in forcing-house toma- 
toes.’? The tabular results are as follows : 
Peat and ashes 
with fertilizers. Natural soil. 
To April17th To April17th ToJuly 16th 
Yield per plant (grams) .. . 2087 976 1820 
Vield per plant (pounds) . . 4.59 2.15 4.00 
Number of fruits per plant . 21 10.4 2207 
Weight of fruits (grams) . . 99.1 91.7 82.4 
Yield per square foot (grams) go4 847.0 1583 
Vield per square foot (pounds) 1.99 1.86 2.5 
‘‘The table shows that up to the time when the fertilizers 
in the artificial soil were proved (by the chemical analyses) 
to be exhausted, the plants in artificial soil had produced, 
per square foot of bench space, 7 per cent more tomatoes 
than those in the natural soil, while the latter had, up to that 
time, three weeks more of growing season. It is possible 
that the plants in natural soil, if they had been set further 
apart, would have, in the same time, made a larger crop per 
foot of bench space. It is possible, too, that with an in- 
creased supply of fertilizers the plants in artificial soil would 
have given a largely increased yield. We cite these figures 
“only to show that the tomato crop can be successfully grown 
in a soil made of ashes and peat, such as we have described, 
with the aid of commercial fertilizers.”’ 
While these experiments were inaugurated ‘‘solely to 
determine how much nitrogen in the soil was necessary for 
the full development of the tomato plant,’’ the experimen- 
ters nevertheless ‘‘ feel justified in calling attention to certain 
apparent advantages in using the artificial soil.’’? In this 
artificial soil there is less liability to fungous troubles and 
insects, and the cost is less than for natural soils. “‘ For 
every 100 square feet of bench space, about 2,200 pounds of 
sifted coal ashes and 63 pounds of dried peat or leaf mold 
