298 VEGETABLE FORCING 



to place a layer or two of paper on top of the excelsior, 

 before packing the tomatoes. Lids may be used or the 

 baskets may be wrapped in paper and securely tied 

 preparatory to shipment. 



Yields and returns. Yields of greenhouse tomatoes 

 are extremely variable. Late fall and winter crops are 

 the lightest and spring crops the heaviest. Two pounds 

 per square foot is considered a satisfactory yield, though 

 this amount is often exceeded. The following yields have 

 been reported by prominent growers in the various sec- 

 tions indicated: An Irondequoit (N. Y.) grower 

 averaged 12 pounds to the plant one season, with Peer- 

 less as a spring crop in a 30 by 180-foot house ; seven rows 

 in the house, 120 plants in each row, or 840 in the house, 

 about 10 clusters on each plant, and an average of six 

 tomatoes per cluster. This grower usually averages about 

 10 pounds to the plant. A Cleveland grower harvested 



Fig. 97. A unique way of packing a number of small boxes of tomatoes. 



4,000 pounds of Globe and Magnus from 400 plants, 18 

 to 25 tomatoes to the plant. A New Castle (Pa.) 

 grower averages about 10 pounds of Globe to the 

 plant. A Boston grower picked 13,360 pounds of fruit 

 from 1,670 plants set 15 inches by 3 feet. Eight pounds 



