Early Tomatoes. 



With this crop the object is to mature quickly 

 rather than to obtain a heavy acre yield; one basket of 

 early tomatoes at $1.25 is worth more than 15 baskets 

 later in the season, when the price is about 8 cents per 

 basket. The plants to be used on the Nitrated plot 

 were treated with a diluted solution of Nitrate four 

 separate times. Plants were field set May 17th, and 

 given six applications of Nitrate of Soda: 1st, 100 

 pounds per acre soon after setting out; 2nd, 3rd and 

 4th of 75 pounds each; and 5th and 6th of 50 pounds 

 each — in all, about 425 pounds per acre. The results 

 were : 



Nitrate. No Nitrate. 



Plants set out in field May 17 May 17 



First picking June 30 July 19 



Days, setting to first picking 43 62 



Crop at $1.00 and upward per basket. . 40 p. ct. 



75 " " 30 " 10 p. ct. 



.50 " " 20 " 15 " 



30 " " 10 " 20 " 



25 " " 25 " 



15 " " .. 15 " 



.08 " " 15 " 



Estimated yield per acre, baskets 500 GOO 



Gross receipts . ._ $377.50 $190.20 



Cost of fertilizer and application 10.35 



Net receipts 367.15 190.20 



Gain per acre for Nitrate 176.95 



The indicated gain amounts to a return of $17.09 

 for every dollar expended for Nitrate of Soda. 



The experiments detailed in this pamphlet are all 

 on a working basis. In every case the object was to 

 force the crop to an early yield, and while the applica- 

 tions of Nitrate of Soda seem large and are large in 

 proportion to the actual needs of the crops grown, at 

 the same time the nature of market-gardening requires 

 free use of immediately available plant food, and the 

 results show that such use is very profitable. 



Asparagus. 



The soil should be sandy, or a light loam. As the 

 crop remains in position for many years, the land should 



Food for 

 Plants 



151 



