UTILIZATION OF WASTE SEED FROM THE TOMATO. 3 



elapse between the picking of the fruit and the preparation of the 

 products. This has led to the erection of a number of pulping sta- 

 tions, most of which are comparatively small from the standpoint of 

 seed produced. A station which pulps 5,000 baskets (of five-eighths 

 of a bushel each) of tomatoes in a 10-hour day is considered a large 

 plant. Many, however, handle only 1,000 baskets. Thus, it is evident 

 that any utilization project must be concerned with the larger sta- 

 tions located at readily accessible points. 



Approximately 205,000 tons of tomatoes are pulped annually at the 

 larger stations in what might be called the eastern and middle-western 

 tomato belts, distributed by States as shown in Table I. 



Table I. — Distribution and quantity of tomatoes pulped annually at the larger 

 pulping stations, with the tonnage of dry seed produced. 



State. 



Delaware. 

 Illinois... 

 Indiana. . 

 Kentucky 

 Maryland . 

 Michigan. 



Estimated, product 

 (tons). 



Tomatoes 

 pulped. 



6,600 



12,300 



69,000 



918 



26, 100 



2,000 



Waste 

 seed. 



33 

 61 



345 



130 

 10 



State. 



New Jersey. . 



New York 



Ohio 



Pennsylvania 



Total.. 



Estimated product 

 (tons). 



Tomatoes 

 pulped. 



63,000 

 10,090 

 8,090 

 7,400 



205.528 



Waste 

 seed. 



315 

 50 

 40 



1,026 



The quantity of seed obtainable from raw tomatoes was ascertained 

 in connection with field work carried on in different parts of the 

 country and from reports of firms now operating on seed recovery, 

 thus eliminating the uncertainty of estimates as to the tonnage of 

 waste seed available. From determinations made with Maryland 

 fruit it was found that seed reduced to a 10 per cent moisture basis 

 constituted about 0.6 per cent of the normal tomatoes. Other de- 

 terminations on middle-western tomatoes showed from 0.4 to 0.5 per 

 cent. Firms operating on seed recovery for planting purposes report 

 about 0.58 per cent. One-half of 1 per cent has, therefore, been 

 adopted as representing the average percentage of seed available. 

 Hence, each ton of tomatoes pulped should yield about 10 pounds of 

 dry seed. These figures, of course, refer to seed practically free from 

 skins, with a moisture content of 10 per cent, such as would be pro- 

 duced commercially by the recovery methods to be described later. 



Table II records the tonnage of tomatoes pulped over a period of 

 five years, 1914 to 1918, inclusive, only the data actually reported 

 being included. The figures, as here given, refer to the larger pulp- 

 ing stations, situated at points readily accessible for railroad trans- 

 portation. Figures from the smaller producing stations have not 

 been included, because of the increased cost which would be involved 

 in assembling small quantities of material. 



