3358 



TOMATO 



TOMATO 



ble part of the crop. The fruit is attacked at the blos- 

 som-end. A small black speck first appears, which 

 gradually increases in size until the entire fruit is 

 affected. There is practically no remedy. The best 

 thing to do is to gather and destroy the fruit as soon 

 as it becomes affected. 



Tomato-wilt often attacks the plants when the crop 

 is grown on the same land more than one season in 

 succession. Rotation should be practised as a safe- 

 guard against this disease. 



The nematode is a microscopic worm which attacks 

 the roots of a tomato plant and causes small bead-like 

 knots to form. Ground infested with this pest should 

 be avoided and whenever there is danger of infesta- 

 tion, cowpeas should not be planted on the land pre- 

 ceding tomatoes, as most varieties of peas encourage 

 the development of the nematode. 



The boll-worm sometimes causes considerable dam- 

 age. This is a large green worm that enters the fruit 

 near the stem-end. As soon as the fruit becomes 

 infested, it is entirely worthless and should be removed 

 and fed to hogs or destroyed. The boll-worm can be 

 partially controlled by spraying with arsenate of lead; 

 put, as it seldom makes its appearance before the fruit 

 is full grown, there is danger in using any poison as 

 a sprav E. J. KYLE. 



Tomato-growing under glass. 



The tomato ranks next to the cucumber and perhaps 

 next to lettuce in importance as a vegetable forcing 

 crop. It is grown extensively under glass near all of 

 the large cities of the North from the Mississippi 

 River to the Atlantic coast. In some instances houses 

 are devoted wholly to tomatoes, while in the larger 

 number of cases other crops are grown in rotation with 

 tomatoes. A very common practice is to produce let- 

 tuce until early spring and then the beds and benches 

 are planted in tomatoes which will ripen during the 

 months of May, June, and July. An early summer crop 

 is considered more profitable than late fall and winter 

 tomatoes, notwithstanding the fact that prices are 

 always much lower. The larger net profits are due to 

 larger yields obtained at much less expense, and there 

 are no fuel bills to pay during the months of June and 

 July and very little artificial heat is required in April 

 and May. These remarks are not intended even to 

 suggest that the forcing of tomatoes should be restricted 

 to late spring and early summer, for many growers 

 realize satisfactory profits on the fall crop and some- 

 times on midwinter tomatoes. 



The tomato is also a popular vegetable in houses 

 which are used solely in providing fresh vegetables at 

 all seasons for the home table. No fruit or vegetable 

 is more appreciated in the winter months than well- 

 grown greenhouse tomatoes which are superior in qual- 

 ity to those grown in the open ground. 



Numerous varieties are used for forcing purposes. 

 English varieties have received much attention and 

 some of them, such as Comet, have been grown on a 

 large scale. American sorts, however, are now relied 

 on mainly by the most extensive American growers. 

 Bonny Best is undoubtedly taking the lead among red- 

 fruited varieties. It is very prolific and the round 

 smooth fruits are popular on most markets. Beauty, 

 Globe, and Trucker Favorite are planted most exten- 

 sively wherever pink or purple fruits are wanted. 



In the starting of tomato plants for forcing, there 

 should be uninterrupted growth from germination 

 until the plants have attained full size in the beds. It 

 is customary to sow the seed for the fall crop soon after 

 June 20, and for the spring crop from January 15 to 

 February 1. If a very early spring crop is wanted, the 

 seed should be sown January 1 or even earlier. The 

 seedlings may be planted in beds or flats at the first 

 transplanting and the second shift should be made to 



pots large enough to care for the plants without crowd- 

 ing. A third shift to 4- to 6-inch pots is often made, 

 and with good management this should result in very 

 fine plants. 



Most of the large commercial growers employ solid 

 beds. Raised benches are used in some sections, 

 especially when carnations precede the tomatoes. 

 Solid beds require no expense for construction and 

 maintenance and it is less difficult to maintain uni- 

 form soil-moisture conditions. Benches are an advan- 

 tage when bottom heat is desired and this should be 

 considered if the crop is to be grown at midwinter. If 

 lettuce is grown until the tomatoes are planted early 

 in the spring, solid beds will be found entirely satis- 

 factory. Large pots -and boxes are often used in small 

 houses but they are not practicable on a large commer- 

 cial scale. 



Some persons have an idea that the tomato does 

 well in poor soils. This is an erroneous impression, for 

 high yields are obtained only in rich soils. It is true 

 that the proportion of plant-food must be well bal- 

 anced. An excess of nitrogen, with copious watering 

 and high temperature, causes a rank growth of plants 

 and a low yield. But the soil must be well provided 

 with the mineral elements and enough nitrogen to 

 meet the needs of the plant. If lettuce is grown until 

 March, and enough manure employed to obtain good 

 crops, the soil should be in ideal condition for tomatoes. 

 It must be borne in mind that the greenhouse soil is 

 a kind of manufactured soil, and it is important to 

 give special attention to the supply of fiber or organic 

 matter. The productiveness of greenhouse soils, what- 

 ever the crop may be, depends more on their physical 

 properties than upon their chemical composition. 

 Stable manure, used in ample quantity for lettuce, will 

 make the best preparation for tomatoes and no addi- 

 tional manure will need to be applied to the tomatoes, 

 except as a mulch. Special fertilizers have not been 

 found necessary, and seldom an advantage, when 

 stable manure has been used in sufficient amount to 

 keep the soil in proper physical condition. While sandy 

 loams are preferable for growing tomatoes under glass, 

 any of the common soils, clays included, will give good 

 results when properly handled. 



There is the greatest diversity of practice among 

 growers concerning planting distances. Some prefer 

 to plant close together in rows with liberal spacing 

 between rows. For example, a highly successful gar- 

 dener sets the plants 14 inches apart in rows 30 inches 

 apart. Some plant 2 feet apart each way with alleys 

 at convenient distances. In large commercial houses, 

 liberal spacing between rows is 'a great advantage in 

 training the plants, pollinating the flowers, and picking 

 the fruit. 



It is possible to do a little intercropping between the 

 tomato plants. Lettuce and radishes are sometimes 

 grown between the rows, by starting the crops immedi- 

 ately after the tomato plants have been set. The prac- 

 tice is only fairly satisfactory because the tomato plants 

 shade the lettuce and radishes so that the latter crops 

 are seldom very good. 



While tomato plants may be trained to two or more 

 stems, the almost universal practice under glass is to 

 grow single stems. (Figs. 3822, 3823.) This is easily 

 accomplished by removing with thumb and finger all 

 lateral branches as fast as they appear. In order that 

 the laterals do not make too much growth, it is best to 

 look over the plants every three or four days. When 

 the plants attain a height of about 5 feet the tops are 

 nipped. The stems may be supported in any conveni- 

 ent way. Various arrangements of wire, or wire and 

 strings, are usually employed. A common practice is 

 to use fairly heavy string or twine for the uprights 

 which are tied to wires running lengthwise in the house. 



Tomatoes under glass may be tilled, if it is pre- 

 ferred, but the better practice is to mulch the ground 



