LEADING VEGETABLE CROPS 235 



For markets near at hand the tomatoes should be 

 allowed to become fully ripened on the vines. Fre- 

 quent pickings should be the rule in order that 

 the fruits sold may be uniform in ripeness and 

 quality. When gathered for shipment to distant 

 markets, the fruits should be picked when showing 

 the whitish coloring or only slight indications of 

 reddening. 



The tomato is handled in all sorts of packages. 

 The bushel basket is largely used for close markets, 

 especially in the North. The 20-pound split baskets 

 and the Climax baskets are frequently used in 

 shipping the forced, and in some cases, the out-of- 

 door crop from the far South. Southern tomatoes, 

 however, are largely shipped in the four and six- 

 basket carriers. 



The yields of tomatoes vary widely, as might 

 be expected from the fact that on account of its 

 wide distribution it is frequently planted on soils 

 poorly adapted to its culture. As high as from 800 

 to 1,000 bushels have been secured, but Tracy states 

 that the average yield when grown for canning pur- 

 poses does not exceed 100 bushels per acre. From 

 200 to 400 bushels should be secured as an average 

 yield under market garden conditions. 



The forcing of tomatoes has become an extensive 

 industry, but on accoUnt of the tropical nature of 

 the plant, it requires structures built in the best 

 possible manner and carefully arranged in order 

 that temperature, moisture and ventilation may be 

 under thorough control. For obvious reasons the 

 tomato must be closely planted and trained to a 

 single stem .under greenhouse conditions. An 

 abundance of room must be provided for an up- 

 right growth. Low houses, therefore, are not de- 

 sirable for forcing this crop. 



