S T O K_ Er S 



S E & D S 



THIS REPORT WILL INTEREST EVERY 

 TOMATO PRODUCER 



THE following data was ably presented by Mr. 

 Benjamin J. Roberts, Superintendent of the 

 Dr. S. Emlen Stokes farm, Marlton, N. J., at 

 the meeting of the New Jersey State Horticultural 

 Society held at Haddon Hall, Atlantic City, N. J., 

 December 5, 1934. By producing 13 tons per acre, 

 Mr. Roberts became eligible for membership in the 

 New Jersey Ten-Ton Canhouse Tomato Club, and 

 in that competition was awarded first prize in the 

 quality contest, securing the following figures on 

 U. S. grades: Per cent 



U. S. No. 1 80 



U. S. No. 2 19 



Culls 1 



Mr. Roberts was awarded the third prize in the 

 yield contest. 



This unusual record is of particular interest to 

 us for the reason that Mr. Roberts was one of our 

 contract growers of Stokes Master Marglobe, pro- 

 ducing his crop from our southern-grown plants. 

 A careful study of this report will not only indicate 

 that Mr. Roberts is a master Tomato grower, but 

 also that he has had very complete facilities for 

 keeping his records. Mr. Roberts has graciously 

 permitted the reprinting of this report. 



"I sincerely wish that there were some secret 

 connected with the success of our 1934 Tomato 

 crop that we would at this time pass on to help 

 other growers in 1935. There are, however, three 

 factors that always play an important part in rais- 

 ing Tomatoes. The first one that I would mention 

 is good plants. We were fortunate in getting our 

 entire lot of plants for 16 acres in one shipment. 

 They were southern-grown Stokes Master Mar- 

 globe, and were delivered on May 9. The plants 

 were not only absolutely free from disease but were 

 well hardened, with good tops and roots. We 

 trenched these plants near a greenhouse so we could 

 water them for two days. On the third day the 

 roots of every plant were covered with little white 

 fibrous roots that were ready to go to work, so we 

 started planting in the field. They were all planted 

 in rows 5 feet apart and 4 feet in the row. Italian 

 labor was used for planting, putting a cup of water 

 to every plant. It is needless to say that we received 

 a perfect stand and would never have replanted if 

 it had not been for some windy days later in May 

 that broke off a few plants. 



"The second important factor that I would 

 mention is good fertilizer. We used a home mixture 

 bought through the Moorestown Grange, which we 

 mixed and had tested by the Experiment Station at 

 New Brunswick, receiving an official report from 

 the State Chemist that we had a 5—10-8 fertilizer. 

 We used 1,000 pounds to the acre — 800 pounds in 

 the row and 200 pounds as a side-dressing after the 

 plants had been in the field about four weeks. A 

 heavy cover-crop of rye was plowed under also. 

 The rows were all made up a week before planting 

 and marked out 4 feet crossways with a 16-foot sled. 



_ "The third factor I wish to mention is the right 

 kind of cultivation. As soon as we had finished 

 planting we started through the Tomatoes with 

 two-horse riding cultivators with 1-inch teeth next 

 to the plants and the rest 2-inch teeth going as 

 close to the plants and as deep as we could. When 

 we finished cultivating the 5-foot way in this manner 

 we then crossed the rows with a one-horse cul tivator 

 once to a middle. When this was finished the plants 

 were hoed around for the only time during the 



season. We tried to cultivate the Tomatoes once a 

 week, keeping away from them and working the 

 soil up to them as the plants increased in size. We 

 crossed them with the one-horse cultivator as long 

 as we could without breaking the vines. When the 

 vines became so large that the riding cultivators 

 would drag them the 5-foot way, we then used the 

 one-horse cultivator with side-plows until the rows 

 were entirely closed with vines. Our fields were 

 free from crab grass and weeds, and I believe it is 

 important to have it so, as one crop in a field at a 

 time is enough. 



"The Tomatoes were sprayed only for potato 

 bugs and the green Tomato worms, calcium arsenate 

 being used for both. 



"We picked all our crop with day labor, and this, 

 together with the clean cultivation, which caused 

 the fields to dry off earlier in the mornings and also 

 made easier and more pleasant picking, together 

 with close supervision, gave us a grade of 80 per 

 cent U. S. No. 1, 19 per cent U. S. No. 2, and 1 per 

 cent Culls, and a tonnage of 13 tons to the acre. 



"The land used was of medium light loam, and 

 the crop grown in 1933 was sugar corn. The stalks 

 were plowed under and rye planted in early Sep- 

 tember. 



"We keep daily time-sheets on every crop raised 

 on the farm. The following figures are taken from 

 our 1934 Tomato records: 



COST OF GROWING THE 16 ACRES: 



Use of ground $64 00 



Baskets . . 51 68 



Preparing and cultivating ground 



(Also cost of plowing under 1933 stalks 



and planting corn crop.) 349 82 



Fertilizer 208 14 



Plants.... 94 00 



Planting (including trenching) 72 65 



Spraying 35 90 



Picking (3.7 cts. per basket) 390 01 



Hauling 49 42 



Grading (Tomatoes sold in Philadelphia) ... 20 68 



Ferriage (Tomatoes sold in Philadelphia) ... 5 02 



TOTAL COST $1,341 34 



Receipts from sale of Tomatoes $3,423 34 



Profit on the crop 2,082 00 



Cost of growing per acre $83 83^8 



Net profit per acre 130 12 Y% 



"In closing I wish to thank the Society for the 

 Certificate of Merit received as a member of the 

 Ten-Ton Canhouse Tomato Club, and trust that 

 next year we may have twenty-four members 

 instead of twelve. 



"For the beautiful gold watch and five hundred 

 baskets, I wish to especially thank you, Mr. Hall, 

 as President of the New Jersey Canners' Association. 

 It was most generous of you and your Association, 

 and we feel as if we had more than our share. I 

 hope the prizes will be continued next year and that 

 some other grower may stand here in my place and 

 then know how thrilled and appreciative the winners 

 are « Respectfully submitted, 



BENJAMIN J. ROBERTS 



December l y 1934 Marlton, New Jersey 



