TOMATO 



1971 



but the grower must necessarily deter- 

 mine this for himself after the study of 

 his soil and the behavior of his plants. 

 As a rule when the fruit begins to mature 

 more water will be needed than in the 

 earlier life of the plant. 



Picking 



Only ripe fruit should be picked when 

 it is to be sold on the local market. For 

 shipping it must be picked much greener, 

 as it ripens in transit. Over-ripe or "leak- 

 ing" tomatoes cannot be handled profit- 

 ably. This will necessitate frequent gath- 

 ering, and all plants should receive equal 

 attention, in order to prevent some fruit 

 from becoming over-ripe. 



The tomato must be carefully picked. 

 It is very easily bruised, and a picking 

 basket lined with some soft material like 

 burlap may be found convenient. There 

 are many styles of picking utensils on 

 the market. One will have no difficulty in 

 choosing a satisfactory type. 



Tomatoes collect considerable dust while 

 growing. If spraying has been done for 

 disease or insect pest it also is noticeable. 

 Therefore, every fruit should be carefully 

 wiped. This can be conveniently done 

 just before they are placed on the pack- 

 ing table. 



Grading 



Before placing the tomato upon the 

 market have it carefully graded, fancy, 

 second, and culls. Accuracy in grading 

 pays well on any market. In this way 

 a reputation can be secured and main- 

 tained. 



The tomato that is sound, smooth, reg- 

 ular in shape, free from cracks and blem- 

 ishes, is packed as fancy. Second-grade 

 tomatoes consist of those specimens which 

 are slightly inferior to the fancy grade 

 in smoothness, size or extent of cracks, 

 but ripe and make a uniform pack. All 

 rough, over-ripe, cracked, or unsightly 

 specimens are classed as culls. 



Packing 



The Western Standard tomato box is 

 made in two sizes—length, 18% inches; 

 width, 11% inches; depth, 3% inches. 

 The other size is, length, 18% inches; 

 width, 11% inches; depth, 4 inches. This 



box is used both for local market and ex- 

 port. A careful packer will see that no 

 package leaves the field defective in re- 

 gard to quality of pack, name of variety, 

 and any labeling that the grower is using 

 to establish his reputation. As a rule, the 

 market demands that this style of pack- 

 age be only for the fancy and second 

 grade. 



In some markets, principally in the 

 Middle West, the four-basket crate is 

 used. This is especially preferable for 

 fancy, early tomatoes. The dimensions of 

 this crate are 22 inches x 13 inches x 4% 

 inches, and contains four baskets, each 

 one being 10 inches x 6% inches at the 

 top, 8% inches x 4% inches at the bottom, 

 and 4 inches deep. This is the standard 

 package for tomatoes produced in South- 

 ern Illinois. 



Throughout the Boston market district 

 the favorite package for tomatoes is the 

 Boston bushel box. While there are some 

 districts in this state able to produce a 

 fancy early tomato, the type of container 

 is governed by the demand of the market. 

 As most of the fruit is consumed in local 

 markets, probably there will be no change 

 from our present package. 



For canning purposes some canneries 

 prefer to furnish the crates to the grower. 

 These crates hold about 50 pounds, and 

 are constructed to prevent any injury to 

 the fruit. No crate of tomatoes should be 

 delivered to the canning factory in a drip- 

 ping or otherwise defective condition, as 

 only choice fruit will produce the first- 

 grade canned product. 



Marketing 



The prospective tomato grower should 

 ascertain his market before planting ex- 

 tensively. A few tomato growers can sup- 

 ply the local market in towns averaging 

 from 4,000 to 5,000 people, but in locali- 

 ties where a cannery is in operation the 

 fruit can be disposed of at a profit first 

 to the fancy trade and then to the can- 

 nery. 



Yields 



In a good season, with proper care of 

 vines and without exceptional loss from 

 disease or insect attacks, the yield may 



