AN ECONOMIC STUDY OF THE PRODUCTION OF CANNING CROPS 47 



items required to produce one ton of tomatoes in 1920 with a yield of 7 

 tons per acre, are listed in table 44. The method of calculating these 

 quantities is explained on page 18. With 1920 prices the items included 

 made up about 95 per cent of the total cost. 



TABLE 44. ESTIMATED QUANTITIES OF THE PRINCIPAL ITEMS REQUIRED TO PRO- 

 DUCE ONE TON OF TOMATOES IN 1920 WITH A YIELD OF 7 TONS PER ACRE * 



(Based on data from 133 farms) 



"The items included made up 95 P^r C2nt of the total cost in 1020. 



Plants 



With the exception of human and horse labor, the expense for plants 

 was the largest item of cost. The most usual number of plants set per 

 acre was 3000, but the average number was over 3000 (table 45). 



TABLE 45. NUMBER OF TOMATO PLANTS USED PER ACRE, AND AVERAGE COST 

 PER THOUSAND, 133 FARMS, 1920 



Because of the climatic conditions in New York State, tomato plants 

 must be raised under glass. They are usually started in hothouses and 

 hardened in coldframes, and transplanted once. Most of the farmers 

 do not grow their own plants because they do not have the necessary 

 equipment. The plants are for the most part grown by plant growers or 

 by the canning companies, who have greenhouses and the other special 

 equipment needed. There are a few farmers who grow enough plants 

 for their own needs. Among the farmers from whom cost figures were 

 obtained, i in the Orleans area, 2 in the Niagara area, and 1 1 in the Chau- 

 tauqua area, used home-grown plants. 



When furnished by or thru the company, the plants are not paid for 

 in cash but are charged to the farmer's account, the cost being deducted 

 from the first payment due the farmer for tomatoes. When the farmer 

 buys plants from a plant grower, there are usually two prices, the cash 



