TOMATOES 



203 



Early Plants. 



The question of starting early plants is of vital importance 

 to many men. I have here a little chart which represents 

 the tests of three years, put forth by a western college. This 

 would apply equally as well in the East. By looking at the 

 chart we find that we have five methods under trial. 



1. Seed bed plants without any thinning. 



2. Seed bed plants thinned, so the expense was a trifle 

 more. 



3. Transplanted once. There is very little difference be- 

 tween this and thinning. 



4. Transplanted twice. 



5. Transplanted to veneer dirt-bands. 



The results of these methods are as follows: 



Method Cost of plants Yield Value of crop 



per acre per acre per acre 



Seed-bed plants $1.30 5.26 tons $ 52.60 



Hotbed plants not transplanted 4.90 10.15 " 101.50 



Hotbed plants transplanted once 4.95 10.3 103.00 



Hotbed plants transplanted twice 6.70 10.82 " 108.20 



Hotbed plants grown in dirt bands 8.80 14.92 " 149.20 



You do not notice a large difference between methods 2, 3 

 and 4. We might say if we give the plant enough room — 

 plenty of sunlight, root space, and so on — we are able to pro- 

 duce plants that are fit without transplanting once or twice. 

 But how is it with the last method? Here is used a veneer 

 band of a large size. The yield was over four tons greater. 



Question: Would you have better tomatoes from this 

 last method? 



Mr. Wilkinson: It is evidently so. 



Question: Would you get better price per ton? 



Mr. Wilkinson: Probably you would. There is a selec- 

 tion in thinning. 



Question: Will the rankest plant produce the best fruit? 



Mr. Wilkinson : Not necessarily. It is a question whether 

 it would pay to purchase wooden bands in place of paper pots. 



