1914. 
DETAILS OF EARLY TOMATO GROWING. 
Part II. 
BLOCKING.—About two weeks before plants are 
transferred to the field or after growth has well 
started they are “blocked.” That is, the soil and 
manure in which the plants are set is cut clear 
through so as to have each plant in an individual 
cube of soil and manure 4% inches square and five 
inches deep. The blocking or cutting is all done 
from above with a “blockei\” The blocker (see il¬ 
lustration) is nothing more nor less than a large 
hilling hoe having a blade 10 inches wide, and 
straightened at the shank so the cutting edge is in 
a direct line with the handle. A nib is put on the 
handle about 18 inches from the-top and when using 
is grasped by the right hand. When blocking, sashes 
are slipped off and the man doing the work stands 
on the rafters which usually support the sash, or 
if desired on a board placed across the frame. He 
cuts between the rows of plants, running crosswise 
of the bed first; then cuts as far as he can reach 
in the opposite direction (see diagram), lie has 
the blocker sharp, and is careful that it cuts clear 
through the manure, thus leaving each individual 
plant in a square block of soil and manure all to 
itself. Two men working together do the blocking 
to best advantage, each taking one side of the bed. 
With experience this work is done rapidly; 15 to 
20 thousand plants being considered a fair day’s 
work for two men, although much more than that 
is often done by expert hands. Blocking is our sub¬ 
stitute for paper pots or berry boxes. It eliminates 
that extra expense, and subsequent handling of 
plants is much easier than if pots are used. 
SETTING OUT.—If growth in the cold frame has 
been regulated by judicious watering and careful 
attention by the fifth of May the plants 
will have a thick stout stem with little 
side branches starting at leaf joints, 
and the buds forming what is described 
as the crown setting will be partly 
opened. The night before plants are 
set in the field, the bed is given a good 
soaking. This permits the soil and 
manure to become settled over night. 
The next morning the plants are load¬ 
ed in ordinary two-wheeled Jersey 
dump carts, or low wagons, and taken 
to the field. These carts hold from 80 
to 100 plants. Some growers have ex¬ 
tra large cart bodies that they put on 
for this purpose, holding 135 to 175 
plants. Plants are lifted from the 
frame to the cart by forks or shovels. 
The whole block is taken with the 
plant standing upright and undis¬ 
turbed in the middle of it. With a 
six-tined fork six to nine plants can 
be lifted at one time without crushing 
the blocks. After the cart is loaded 
it is driven to the field, plants taken 
THE RURAL NEW-VORKER 
Then it is run at right angles set at the 
same distance; leaving the field in checks 4% 
feet each way, with the cross marks quite dis¬ 
tinct. Plants are seldom given less than 4 y 2 feet 
each way in the field, and recently there has been a 
tendency by some to increase this distance to five 
feet. Just before plants are set a two-horse plow 
set as deep as two horses can pull it, is run down 
the row just marked. This covers up the marks on 
one side of the row, but leaves the other side plain 
enough for setting plants, so they will be in line both 
ways of the field (see diagram). I will say in pass¬ 
ing, however, that on some soils deep furrowing 
would be a disadvantage but on sandy soils that dry 
out quickly it is a distinct advantage; especially 
in a season of drought such as we have just been 
through. It is also advantageous to, have rows fur¬ 
rowed out only a short while before setting plants, 
so that the soil will not become too dry. After fur¬ 
rowing a large handful of a quick-acting high grade 
fertilizer is thrown with a scattering motion "in” 
and “on” the side of the furrow opposite each cross 
or check where the plant is to stand, and all is 
ready for the plants. It will be seen from the above 
that extra heavy fertilization is not practiced. No 
plant food is used except that from the manure 
turned under with the rye and the- fertilizer put in 
the bill. That placed in the hill gives the plant 
a quick start, and the manure maintains a steady 
healthy growth. Subsequent applications of fertil¬ 
izer are seldom made, as a heavy vine growth would 
be stimulated, and tend to retard ripening and set¬ 
ting of early fruits. If the question of earliness 
were eliminated and a large crop the end in view, 
then heavier fertilization would pay. 
SETTING.—Plants are set in the field with the 
first nice days after May 1. There is some danger 
LATE PICKINGS OF EAR LI ANA TOMATOES FOR CAN HOUSE. 
WAGON HOLDS ISO BASKETS. Fig. 78. 
out one at a time and placed where they are to 
stand. If everything has gone right there will be 
scarcely a crushed block in the cartload. All the 
plants will be standing up fresh and green, with 
their rootlets undisturbed, and ready to reach out 
for the abundance of plant food that has been sup¬ 
plied to stimulate the early growth which means so 
much in producing early tomatoes in quantity. 
PREPARING SOIL.—As earliness is the prime 
factor in determining profits, growers select the soil 
and location for their tomatoes with that in view. A 
rich, well-drained, sandy or gravelly loam with 
southern exposure and sheltered from heavy winds, 
makes an ideal location. However, such conditions 
are not always found, in which case growers select 
the best they have and make up in attention what 
they lack in location. That tomatoes can be made 
to succeed and produce early fruits on soil and 
under conditions not ideal has been fully demon¬ 
strated. but it requires more judgment on the part 
of the grower in the attention he bestows upon his 
plants. Tomatoes are grown in various truck-crop 
rotations, but the most popular is one covering four 
years, including first year clover, second year corn, 
melons or cantaloupes, third year sweet potatoes, 
fourth year tomatoes. Rye is sown as a cover crop 
after the potatoes. The rye has about 10 tons of 
manure to the acre spread on it in the Fall; the 
whole being turned under in the Spring before much 
growth is made. After plowing the ground is har¬ 
rowed with an Acme to level the surface and con¬ 
serve the moisture. This is repeated at intervals 
until the first of May, when the ground is marked. 
MARKING.—When marking it is first de¬ 
cided which way the field is to be furrowed out for 
the plants. This determined, the marker, with 
hoes set 4 y 2 feet apart, is run in that direction. 
from frost, but growers are willing to take chances 
with at least a portion of their crop, for a two day’s 
start at time of setting often means a difference of 
as many weeks when picking time arrives. As stated 
in the previous article plants are brought from the 
cold frame to the field in carts. One man does the 
setting; he uses a small narrow spade to remove 
the plants from the cart and puts one in each cross, 
(point where the furrow and cross marks intersect) 
being careful to place them exact, so that they will 
be in line across the field. A second man follows 
the first, and covers the “block” with enough soil 
to make a good hill. Where several thousand plants 
are set, three carts are used to best advantage. One 
man loads at the bed, two men drive carts and set 
plants, and two men hill up. 
INSECTS AND DISEASES.—Cutworms are often 
troublesome; if their presence is suspected growers 
use poisoned bran, placed about four inches from flic 
base of the plants after each day’s setting. If 
placed against the stem of the plant the poison will 
be as harmful, in effect, as the worms. Few grow¬ 
ers spray thoroughly for blight, but from start to 
finish a continual fight must be put up against the 
potato beetle. Formerly Paris green was the poison 
used, but because of frequent damage by burning, 
growers are substituting arsenate or lead with bet¬ 
ter results. The first dose is given in the cold frame 
just before plants are taken to the field. 
CULTIVATION begins as soon as plants are set, 
and a rapid thrifty growth depends upon it. It is 
practically all done with the ordinary five-tooth 
horse-drawn lioe-harrow. This harrow keeps the 
surface soil well stirred close to the plants and levels 
off the ridges. As harrowing is (Tone both ways 
there is need of little work with the hand hoes, but 
in order to conserve moisture and have the tomato 
211 
plants free from grass at picking time, harrowing 
is done regularly and often. As vines grow the har¬ 
row is not run so close to the plant and the teeth 
are set more shallow so that the small feeding roots 
will not be cut off. 
PICKING.—This commences near the middle of 
June, and continues until August 10 or 15. Italians 
are employed for this work, and receive 2 y 2 cents 
for a 20-quart basket. All early tomatoes are sent in 
baskets to Philadelphia and nearby markets, or 
packed in crates and sold to dealers who ship to 
New York, Boston and even to Canada. Last year 
thousands of crates of tomatoes were picked green 
and shipped to Canada. Two grades are made— 
primes and culls. Grading and packing is, in. most 
cases; carefully done; but perfection along this line 
lias not yet been reached. Each year’s experience 
demonstrates anew the value and demand for bet¬ 
ter packing; and past experience of growers shows 
that it pays to put up tomatoes as the market de¬ 
mands. Last year many growers commenced pick¬ 
ing before June 20, at which time they netted $3 
and above a 26-quart crate. As tomatoes become 
more plentiful the price falls gradually, but usually 
remains above $1 a crate until after the middle of 
July. Canners usually commence buying the last 
of July and pay from 10 to 30 cents a basket. By 
August 15 the crop is practically all gathered, and 
in good time for plowing the fields and getting a 
good catch of clover. The picture shows a big load 
of tomatoes. These tomatoes were loaded on boats 
and shipped to Baltimore canners. The great and 
increasing demand for tomatoes in cans has created 
an outlet for even the last pickings of our early 
tomatoes. The Earliaha makes an excellent canning 
tomato, arid late in the season thousands of baskets 
are sold daily to agents buying for can factories. 
While they cannot pay the high prices 
received earlier in the season, still it 
all helps in making the crop a profit¬ 
able one. 
PROFITS from the system of tomato 
growing as outlined above are no more 
uniform from year to year than profits 
from other truck crops. But that they 
average high is clearly shown in the 
increasing interest taken in the crop 
by those who grow them each year; 
and in the care and attention they 
bestow upon the plants in their various 
stages of growth; and in the steadily 
increasing acreage. The past year 
witnessed some failures because of the 
exceptionally dry weather and the 
Southern wilt which struck this section 
for the first time. But those who had 
a crop did exceedingly well, with re¬ 
ceipts in many instances above $200 
an acre. In other years some have re¬ 
ported receipts as high as $400 an acre. 
The crop generally is both profitable 
and popular, and growers are continu¬ 
ally putting forth their best efforts preparing for 
the next year's crop. It has been hinted that tomato 
growing may be overdone, but the many styles of 
serving and the wide distribution made possible by 
c nning favors an enormous consumption. While 
the crop may not always be highly profitable, still 
present indications seem to justify growers in main¬ 
taining that the future production of first-class 
early tomatoes promises more in the way of possi¬ 
bilities and profits than ever before, trucker, jr. 
Refrigeration by Electricity. 
I would like some practical information as regards 
refrigeration by electricity. I am a fruit grower and 
understand that there is a system of automatic refri¬ 
geration by using the electric current and ammonia. 
If you could give me any light on building such a 
plant—say 600 pound capacity—I would be pleased. 
I want only practical plans as regards construction, 
•installation, cost of maintenance, etc. A. E. 
So far as I know there is no system of refrigeration 
where the electric current plays any important part. 
Of course, the machinery is often driven by means of 
electric motors, in place of a steam or gas engine. The 
Automatic Refrigerating Company of Hartford, Conn., 
advertise that they are manufacturers of the only auto¬ 
matic refrigerating plants and the they are the only 
manufacturers who use electric power solely. They 
refer, however, to the use of electric power for operat¬ 
ing the machinery in place of using steam power and the 
automatic feature refers only to the fact that the refrig¬ 
erating plants are automatically shut down when the 
demand for electricity for the use of other customers 
is all that can be taken care of by the power house. 
This automatic feature is only of interest to central 
power stations making ice as a by-product. Their 
catalogues and booklets and those of Carbondale Ma¬ 
chine Co., Carbondale, Pa., and United Ice Improve¬ 
ment Co., Marbridge Bldg., New York, may be of in¬ 
terest to you. r. p. c. 
