UTILIZATION OF WASTE SEED FROM THE TOMATO. 3 
elapse between the picking of the fruit and the preparation of the 
products. This has led to the erection of a number of pulping sta- 
tions, most of which are comparatively small from the standpoint of 
seed produced. A station which pulps 5,000 baskets (of five-eighths 
of a bushel each) of tomatoes in a 10-hour day is considered a large 
plant. Many, however, handle only 1,000 baskets. Thus, it is evident 
that any utilization project must be concerned with the larger sta- 
tions located at readily accessible points. 
Approximately 205,000 tons of tomatoes are pulped annually at the 
larger stations in what might be called the eastern and middle-western 
tomato belts, distributed by States as shown in Table I. 
Table I. — Distribution and quantity of tomatoes pulped annually at the larger 
pulping stations, with the tonnage of dry seed produced. 
State. 
Estimated product 
(tons). 
Tomatoes 
Waste 
pulped. 
seed. 
6,600 
33 
12,300 
61 
69,000 
345 
918 
5 
26, 100 
130 
2,000 
10 
State. 
Estimated product 
(tons). 
Tomatoes 
pulped. 
Waste 
Delaware. 
Illinois 
Indiana.. . 
Kentucky. 
Maryland . 
Michigan.. 
New Jersey. . 
New York . . . 
Ohio 
Pennsylvania 
Total.. 
205.528 
1,026 
The quantity of seed obtainable from raw tomatoes was ascertained 
in connection with field work carried on in different parts of the 
country and from reports of firms now operating on seed recovery, 
thus eliminating the uncertainty of estimates as to the tonnage of 
waste seed available. From determinations made with Maryland 
fruit it was found that seed reduced to a 10 per cent moisture basis 
constituted about 0.6 per cent of the normal tomatoes. Other de- 
terminations on middle-western tomatoes showed from 0.-4 to 0.5 per 
cent. Firms operating on seed recovery for planting purposes report 
about 0.58 per cent. One-half of 1 per cent has, therefore, been 
adopted as representing the average percentage of seed available. 
Hence, each ton of tomatoes pulped should yield about 10 pounds of 
dry seed. These figures, of course, refer to seed practically free from 
skins, with a moisture content of 10 per cent, such as would be pro- 
duced commercially by the recovery methods to be described later. 
Table II records the tonnage of tomatoes pulped over a period of 
five years, 1914 to 1918, inclusive, only the data actually reported 
being included. The figures, as here given, refer to the larger pulp- 
ing stations, situated at points readily accessible for railroad trans- 
portation. Figures from the smaller producing stations have not 
been included, because of the increased cost which would be involved 
in assembling small quantities of material. 
