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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
BULLETIN No. 392 
Contribution from the States Relations Service 
A. C. TRUE, Director 
Washington, D. C. 
PROFESSIONAL PAPER 
August 23, 1916 
LESSONS ON TOMATOES FOR RURAL SCHOOLS. 1 
By E. A. Miller, Specialist in Agricultural Education. 
CONTENTS. 
Page. 
Introduction , . 1 
Lesson one : 2 
Lesson two 4 
Lesson three - 5 
Lesson four 6 
Lesson five 9 
six 9 
Lesson seven 11 
Lesson eight. . 12 
Lesson nine f . 13 
Lesson ten 14 
Club organization 16 
Community exhibits 17 
INTRODUCTION. 
Importance. — The tomato has come to be looked upon as one of 
the most important truck crops. Its value as an article of food and 
the wide range in which it may be grown have made it both a com- 
mercial and a home garden crop of high rank. 
Educational value. — The many phases involved in growing, har- 
vesting, and marketing the crop give it value as an educational sub- 
ject. This has been demonstrated in recent years by its utilization 
as a club project activity -by young people. It is with a view of 
introducing into the schools hi a- definite way the study of this 
important plant that these lessons are outlined. Each lesson topic 
affords ample work for one or more recitation periods, and should be 
taught at the season of year indicated. 
Practical exercises.— The principles set forth in each lesson should 
be emphasized and demonstrated by the pupils in the growing of 
tomatoes for profit under proper supervision. This is dealt with in 
more detail elsewhere. 
References. — The publications referred to may be had from the 
U. S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C, so long as avail- 
able. Teachers and pupils should write to the State college of agri- 
culture for publications on the subject. Let it be remembered that 
the classroom work can be made most effective only when a liberal 
use is made of supplementary literature. At the very beginning of 
the school year the teacher and pupils should secure all the available 
reference literature on the subject. 
1 Prepared under the direction of C H. Lane, Chief Specialist in Agricultural Education, 
Note.— This bulletin is of interest to teachers of southern rural schools. 
47093°— Bull. 392— lti 1 
