ASCORBIC ACID IN TOMATOES 



25 



Table 8. — Ascorbic Acid Content of Identical Strain Tomatoes for Three 



Successive Years 



Variety and Strain 



1936 



Ascorbic Acid 

 Mg. per I. U. 

 Gram* per 

 Ounce 



1937 



Ascorbic Acid 

 Mg. per I. U. 

 Gram* per 

 Ounce 



Ascorbic Acid 

 Mg. per I. U. 

 Gram* 



per 

 Ounce 



Mass. Field Station, No. 2-1 39+ .08 



Mass. Field Station, No. 8-1 37 + .05 



Mass. Field Station, No. 13-1 36± .05 



Mass. Field Station, No. 15-1 31 + .03 



Mass. Field Station, No. 18-1 



Mass. Field Station, No. 19 



Comet, Perry 35± .02 



Comet, Grey 29± .05 



Stone, Livingston 30+ .08 



Stone, Eastern States 26± .02 



Marglobe, Livingston 30± .05 



Marglobe, Eastern States 25 + . 03 



Marglobe, Landreth 24± .03 



Master Marglobe, F. H. Woodruff. . .31 ± .03 

 Master Marglobe, Stokes 22 ± .01 



Rutgers, Stokes 26± .01 



Rutgers, Landreth 22+ .04 



Globe, Livingston 27 ± .09 



John Baer, Harris 27+ .01 



Bonny Best, Livingston 25± .04 



Greater Baltimore, F. H. Woodruff. .30+ .04 



Lister's Protection, Grey 29± .07 



Mich. State Forcing, Grand Rapids. .26± .07 



Scarlet Dawn, Comstock-Ferre 25+ .04 



Grand Rapids Forcing, Grand Rapids .25 ± .05 



221 

 209 

 204 

 175 



198 

 164 



170 

 147 



170 

 141 

 136 

 175 



124 



147 

 124 



153 

 153 

 141 

 170 

 164 

 147 

 141 

 141 



.28+ .04 

 .30± .06 

 .30± .04 

 .30+ .04 

 .26+ .05 

 .23+ .05 



.22+ .03 

 .26+ .01 

 .22± .04 



.20+04 

 .22+ .04 



158 

 170 

 170 

 170 

 147 

 130 



.30± .03 170 



124 

 147 



124 



113 

 124 



.25 ±.03 141 

 .26+06 147 

 .23±.03 130 



.40+ .10 

 .33± .07 



.42± .07 



.30± .04 

 .31 ± .06 



.28± .05 

 .23+ .05 

 .30+ .06 

 .33± .05 



.27± .04 

 .24± .04 



.29+ .03 

 .44± .07 

 .38+ .07 

 .34+ .05 

 .33+ .03 



226 

 187 



170 

 175 



158 

 130 

 170 



187 



153 

 136 



164 



249 

 215 

 192 



187 



*Mean and Standard Deviaticn from the mean. 



Effect of Nitrogenous Fertilizers 



Twelve strains of the Comet variety were grown in beds and on benches in 

 a greenhouse. The fertilizer for the beds was high in nitrogen and the benches 

 contained nitrogen only sufficient for growth. The ascorbic acid content was 

 found to vary considerably between strains. The 12 strains grown in the beds 

 (high nitrogen) ranged from 74 to 114 units per ounce of tomato; those grown on 

 the benches (low nitrogen) ranged from 96 to 136 units. In each strain, the toma- 

 toes grown on the benches contained more ascorbic acid than those grown in 

 the beds. The short, bushy growth of the plants on the benches (low nitrogen) 

 contrasted markedly with the tall growth in the beds. "Sightmeter" obervations 

 showed that the light intensity throughout the day was higher on the beds. The 

 influence of sunlight on the ascorbic acid content of growing materials has not 

 been determined; moreover, moisture content of the soil may vary with sunlight 

 intensity. Because of this variation in sunlight, no definite relationship between 

 nitrogen and the ascorbic acid content of tomatoes can be determined from this 

 experiment. 



Distribution of Ascorbic Acid in the Tomato 



Ascorbic acid in apples has been found by Fellers, Cleveland, and Clague 

 (1933) to be concentrated in or near the skin, with a small amount located in 



