CULTURAL DIRECTIONS 453 



largest yields of which I have personal knowledge and 

 which ran from 1,000 to 1,200 bushels of fruit (accept- 

 able for canning, and at least two-thirds of it of prime 

 market quality) an acre, four were grown on soils classed 

 as clay loam, two on heavy clay — one so heavy that clay 

 for making brick was subsequently taken from the very 

 spot which yielded the most and best fruit — one on what 

 had been a black ash swamp, one on a sandy muck, two 

 on a sandy loam and one on a light sand made very rich 

 by heavy annual manuring for several years. They 

 were all perfectly watered and drained, in good heart, 

 liberally fertilized with manures of proved right propor- 

 tions for each field, and above all, the fields were put into 

 and kept in perfect tilth by methods suited to each case." 



Sandy soils are, of course, especially desirable for the 

 early crop; they are also injured less by tramping over 

 the ground when gathering the crop in wet weather, and 

 the cost of tillage is not so great as in clay soils. In In- 

 diana (Ind. Sta. B'ul. 144, p. 512) "the highest yields are 

 being secured on sandy loam soils well drained, and 

 comparatively rich in plant food. On the heavier soils 

 the yields have not been so large as on the lighter types, 

 although the tomatoes are usually more firm and meaty, 

 which it is considered makes them better adapted for 

 canning. On lighter soils, as a rule, the fruits are more 

 juicy and the meat is less solid." While the sandy types 

 are perhaps preferred in all of the states, large areas are 

 often grown on heavy soils. In any case, however, the 

 drainage must be perfect if large yields are expected. 

 There is abundant evidence that the fruits of many 

 varieties, especially the early ones, are smoother and 

 more symmetrical when grown on sandy soils. 



For the early crop, location and exposure should be 

 carefully considered. Protection from the north and 

 west winds is a great advantage and southern slopes 

 favor early maturity. 



