l8 TOMATO CULTURE 



much demand and a far greater quantity has been 

 sold than in previous years. During the week ending 

 July 22, 1837, tomatoes were quoted at 25 and 50 

 cents per peck, and the note that they are of good 

 size and were well ripened and came from gardens 

 in the vicinity would indicate that they had at that 

 time early maturing varieties and knew how to grow 

 them. From about 1835 till the present time the culti- 

 vation and use of tomatoes have constantly increased 

 both in this country and in Europe, so that now they 

 are one of the most largely grown of our garden 

 vegetables. 



A suggestion as to the extent they are now grown 

 in America is the fact that a single seed grower saved 

 in 1903 over 20,000 pounds of tomato seed an amount 

 sufficient to furnish plants for from 80,000 to 320,000 

 acres, according to the care used in raising them, the 

 larger quantity not requiring more care than the best 

 growers commonly use. A careful estimate made by 

 the American Grocer shows that in 1903 the packing 

 of tomatoes by canners in the United States amounted 

 to 246,775,426 three-pound cans. In addition to the 

 canned tomato, between 200,000 and 250,000 barrels 

 of catsup stock is put up annually, requiring the prod- 

 uct of at least 20,000 acres. 



It is probable that the area required to produce the 

 fruit that is used fresh at least equals that devoted to 

 the production for preserving, which give us from 

 400,000 to 500,000 acres devoted to this crop each 

 year in America alone. The fruit is perhaps in more 

 general use in America than elsewhere, but its culti- 

 vation and use have increased rapidly in other coun- 



