462 VEGETABLE GARDENING 



some tests at the stations are not favorable. The objec- 

 tion usually raised is, the expense of single-stem training. 

 More plants are required to the acre ; stakes must be pro- 

 vided, placed, removed after harvest and stored for the 

 next crop ; the axillary buds must be pinched out weekly 

 and the plants tied to the stakes. These operations in- 

 volve considerable labor and no grower should adopt the 

 system unless he is certain of the required labor. 



Single-stem training is practiced most extensively in 

 the vicinity of Marietta, O. Probably 500 acres were 

 staked in that region in the summer of 1910. In one field 

 one often sees 20,000 to 30,000 plants, and at the height 

 of the season, 10 or more cars are shipped in a day, all 

 of the crop having been grown by this method. The 

 pink tomatoes Beauty, Acme, Globe, and June Pink 

 are the most popular varieties at Marietta. The strong, 

 vigorous plants are set in check rows about 4 feet apart 

 and the plants 30 inches apart in the row, 4,000 to 5,000 

 plants being generally set to the acre. The stakes are 

 from I to 1^/2 inches in diameter and 5 feet long, and are 

 driven in the ground when the plants are set. They are 

 split by hand from oak, since split stakes are stronger and 

 more durable than sawed ones. The average cost of 

 these stakes at Marietta is about I cent each. The plant 

 is tied to the stake as soon as possible after planting. 

 All side buds are nipped as soon as they appear. The 

 plant is nipped when it reaches the top of the stake. It 

 is supported by tying with coarse twine or raffia at four 

 different places. 



It is estimated that the average yield in the Marietta 

 region is from 10 to 15 pounds, and that re- 

 ceipts run from 5 to 13 cents a plant. The tomatoes 

 are packed in splint baskets holding 25 to 35 pounds, 

 and shipped in refrigerator cars. Nearly all sales are 

 made through the local association. 



Another plan used sometimes, especially when there 



