464 



VEGETABLE GARDENING 



resented in Figure 48 being especially desirable for 

 long shipments. Figure 107 shows a package be- 

 coming more popular every year. Tomatoes are often 

 wrapped in paper before packing. When grown for 

 canning the ripe tomatoes are picked into crates or 

 baskets and hauled or shipped to the factories without 

 cleaning or further attention. 



658. Yields and returns. According to Tracy the 

 average yield of tomatoes grown for canneries (Tracy, 

 W. W., "Tomato Culture," p. 117) probably does not ex- 

 ceed loo bushels an acre. It is not difficult to produce 



FIG. IO7. TOMATOES PACKED FOR MARKET 



500 bushels on an acre. Yields of 800 are not unusual 

 and even larger crops are frequently reported. The 

 price paid for tomatoes by canning factories ranges 

 from $7 to $10 a ton. The expenses of production and 

 delivery to the factories vary so much that any figures 

 which might be given would have very little value. The 

 cost of starting the plants is a factor sometimes. High 

 cost of labor to harvest the crop and a long haul to the 

 factory may reduce the profits to a small margin. With 



