CHAPTER XVIII 



Cost of Production 



There are a few vegetables or fruits where the cost 

 of production and the price received are more varia- 

 ble than with the tomato. The cost per acre for rais- 

 ing the fruit varies with the conditions of soil, facili- 

 ties for doing the work economically and with the 

 season, while that of marketing the product varies 

 still more. Under usual conditions, the growing of 

 an acre of tomatoes and the gathering and marketing 

 of the fruit will cost from $18 to $90, of which from 

 15 to 40 per cent, is spent in fertilizing and preparing 

 the ground, 5 to 10 per cent, for plants, 20 to 30 per 

 cent, for cultivation, and 25 to 40 per cent, for gath- 

 ering and handling the fruit. The last item, of course, 

 varies somewhat with, but not in proportion to, the 

 amount of the crop, as it costs proportionately less to 

 gather a large than a small crop, and for canners' use 

 than for market. 



The expense of shipping and marketing the crop 

 varies so greatly according to the conditions and 

 methods that I do not attempt to state the amount. 

 The total yield of fruit runs from 200 to 600 or 700 

 bushels to the acre, a 2OO-bushel crop of tomatoes com- 

 paring as to amount with one of 25 bushels of wheat 

 and a 7oo-bushel crop of tomatoes with one of 60 

 bushels of wheat ; with the best and wisest cultivation 

 and under the most favorable conditions one can as 



