460 vegetable gardening 
of probably four tons, would contain 57 pounds of nitro- 
gen, 16 of phosphoric acid and 94 of potash. 
Because the requirements of soils vary widely, Corbett 
(Farmers’ Bulletin, 220, U. S. D. A., p. 11) recommends 
the following simple fertilizer test: 
Plot 1. Nitrate of soda, x / 2 pound to 10 plants. Plot 
2. Muriate of potash, l / 2 pound to 10 plants. Plot 3. 
Phosphate, 2 pounds to 10 plants. Plot 4. Nitrate of 
soda, y 2 pound; muriate of potash, y 2 pound tc 10 
plants. Plot 5. Phosphate, 2 pounds; muriate of pot- 
ash, l / 2 pound to 10 plants. Plot 6. Nitrate of soda, 
l / 2 pound; phosphate, 2 pounds to 10 plants. Plot 7. 
Nitrate of soda, x /> pound; phosphate, 2 pounds; muriate 
of potash, x / 2 pound to 10 plants. Plot 8. Barnyard 
manure, I shovelful to the plant. Plot 9. Unfertilized. 
A careful record should be kept of the fruits from each 
plot. 
On thin soils rotten manure is often used. It in- 
creases the size and the yield of the fruit. It is fre- 
quently applied in hills or furrows. 
The most successful growers of early tomatoes use 
fertilizers carrying about 4 per cent nitrogen and 8 to 
12 per cent each of the mineral elements. Amounts 
vary from 500 to 1,000 pounds an acre. In good soils the 
percentage of nitrogen may be reduced to 2 per cent. 
A smaller proportion of nitrogen is generally an ad- 
vantage for the late crop. 
653. Planting. — Tomato plants should be set in the 
open ground with as little check in growth as possible. 
If properly grown and hardened, there should be practi- 
cally no wilting or checking of growth when the transfer 
is made. Nothing is gained by exposing the plants to 
cool, frosty nights, for under such conditions they make 
very little growth, and there is a great risk of serious 
loss from hard frosts. The plants should be hardened 
as much as possible before setting in the open ground. 
