worked. It is generally best to buy plants from a p odfor 



reputable grower, unless the crop is planted on a large 



scale for canning, in which case plants are grown under l6 9 

 special instructions of the cannery. The main feature 

 in profitable tomato growing is to maintain a rapid, 

 steady growth. The soil should be kept pulverized 

 at the surface as a mulch, for the crop uses enormous 

 quantities of water. The plants continue bearing until 

 frost, hence the earlier fruiting commences the heavier 

 the crop through simply having a longer period in bear- 

 ing. Ten tons per acre is by no means an unusual 

 yield, but plant food must be used with a free hand. 



The New Jersey Experiment Station made an 

 experiment with different forms of ammoniates on this 

 crop, and the Nitrated ammoniate (Nitrate of Soda) 

 not only produced the largest crops, but also the largest 

 quantity of "early" tomatoes, and the lowest per cent, 

 of culls. The yield was twelve per cent, greater than 

 that from sulphate of ammonia, and sixty-eight per 

 cent, greater than that from dried blood. 



As soon as the plants are well rooted, top -dress 

 with 200 to 300 pounds of Nitrate of Soda per acre, 

 worked into the soil about the plants. Farm-yard 

 manure may be used on this crop when grown for 

 canning, but the results are always doubtful, as a con- 

 tinued stretch of dry weather may injure the crop 

 through drying out the soil by the large quantity of 

 vegetable matter mixed with it. However rich the 

 soil may be, or however freely chemical fertilizers may 

 have been used, the top-dressing of Nitrate will be 

 found to have increased the fruiting power of the plants, 

 and to have also added to the flavor and color of the 

 fruit. 



It has been found by experiments made at the New 

 Jersey Experiment Station for a period of three years, 

 that Nitrate of Soda, applied when the plants were set 

 out, greatly increased their growth early in the season 

 and produced a much larger crop of early ripe fruit 

 than either barn-yard manure, "phosphates," or no 

 manure at all. 



