lomaio 
Greenhouse growers should try our Super 
Select Grade of Tomato seed in comparison 
with the best they have been able to obtain 
from any other source; listed page 84. 
Tomatoes The tomato is a universally favorite vegetable and no other fruit 
carries greater health bearing elements. No matter how small the 
garden, it should contain at least a few plants so that the family 
can have a fresh supply during a long season. The fresh fruits sliced or used in 
leafy salads add zest to the appetite. The use of canned tomato juice as a beverage 
or cocktail is growing by leaps and bounds. During the year 1929, the commercial pack¬ 
ing of tomato juice was only 185,000 cases, while during 1934 this had increased 
to 5,578,572 cases. 
Our Tomato Seed O* recent years there has been a great improvement in 
tomato varieties. Fruits are smoother, larger, flesh more 
solid, plant yields increased and disease resistant varieties 
developed. Our tomato seed certainly must have “Something on the Ball”, because 
our sales in the larger tomato shipping districts have increased so rapidly. With 
probably no other vegetable is the value of high altitude growing of the seed and 
the natural selection for earliness and hardiness so well demonstrated. Our seed flelds 
this year are grown at an altitude from 4,000 to 6,800 feet. The soil, sunshine and 
Irrigation water supply the elements needed to develop seed of strong vitality. Seed 
being the plant in embryo transfers this increased vitality on to the growing plants 
and results in larger yields of high quality tomatoes. Our seed crops are grown 
from select stock seed saved from individual plants. Many hothouse growers demand 
this grade of super select seed. You will find it listed on page 84. 
How to Grow 
Tomatoes 
1 ounce of seed will produce 3,000 to 4,000 plants, however, 
some should be allowed for safety so that only good strong 
plants may be set. Ordinarily two ounces of seed is the amount 
suggested per acre but this is usually more than enough. Plants 
should be set out as soon as all danger of frost is over. Seed may be planted in the 
hotbed or in flats in the greenhouse about six weeks before transplanting to the field. 
Sufficient plants for a small garden can be started by sowing a few seeds in a shallow 
box and placing in a sunny window in the house. When the seedlings reach the height 
of about one inch, they may be “pricked out” in a larger box, hot bed or cold frame 
and spaced about 4 inches apart. Use only loose soil that will not bake or crust 
easily. This extra transplanting is now rarely done by large commercial growers. 
The plants usually being thinned in the beds to stand two or three inches either way. 
If the plants become too tall and “leggy” they are sometimes sheared. It is much 
better, however, to keep the beds cool enough so that short, stocky, hardy plants are 
produced. Keep the soil moist enough for good steady growth. Too much watering 
will result in spindling plants and increase the danger of “damping off.” 
Transplantinq Varieties with small vines may be set four feet by four feet 
^ ^ which will require 2,723 plants per acre. 1,743 plants are re¬ 
quired if spaced 5 feet by 6 feet. This much room or more 
being required by the large vining sorts such as Norton and Indiana Baltimore. If 
checked in squares, plants may be cultivated both ways. In transplanting the main 
points to be regarded are: care in taking up the plants to avoid injury to the roots, 
setting out as soon as possible to prevent the air coming in contact with the roots, 
setting out firmly to prevent the hot sun from withering and blighting the leaves. 
Before setting out, harden the plants by letting them get quite dry a day or two be¬ 
fore, but give them abundance of water a few hours before pulling. Setting out is 
most apt to be successfully done just at evening or immediately before or during a 
rain. About the worst time is just after a rain, when the ground being wet it is Im¬ 
possible to sufficiently press it about the plants without baking hard. Under Irrigation, 
plants should be set on the edge of the furrow and immediately followed by water. 
If possible irrigate once each day for two or three days following. If not under 
irrigation, single holes are dug, the roots inserted, the earth filled in and the water 
poured on top to settle the plants. If water is used at all it should be used freely 
and the wet surface immediately covered with dry soil about the plants. 
Waterinq The best time to water plants is early in the morning or in the 
^ evening. Water may be given to the roots at any time, but should 
never be sprinkled over the leaves while they are exposed to the 
bright sunshine. If watering a plant has been commenced, continue to supply it as 
it is needed or more injury than good will result from what has been given. One 
copious watering is better than many sprinklings. The ground should always be 
stirred with a hoe or rake before it becomes so very dry as to cake or crack. 
Send for our leaflet on the building and managing of hotbeds. 
Tralninq and Pruninq Of course, it is not necessary that the vines be trained 
^ ^ or pruned but this does have certain advantages. Stakes 
may be set and the plants pruned to a single stem, 
tying perpendicular to the stake with cord. This is rather an expensive process and 
not followed by most commercial growers. Many, however, pinch out all lateral 
branches as soon as they appear and confine the growth to one stem. When several 
clusters of fruit are set on, the vines are topped; this stopping further growth of the 
vine and concentrates the energy of the plant toward maturing the fruits that are 
already set. Advocates of this system claim larger fruits and several days of earli¬ 
ness over unpruned plants. Cultivate as long as the vines will permit. The last two 
or three workings of the soil should be very shallow. If you wish information on the 
building and managing of hotbeds, let us know and we will send leaflet on this subject. 
Earliness of tomatoes may be increased as much as one week or ten days by 
placing one tablespoon full of super phosphate 5 or 6 inches directly under the place 
where each plant is to be set about one week before transplanting. It has bee» 
found that a side dressing with this fertilizer is not nearly as effective as where 
placed in this manner. 
78 
D. V. Burrell Seed Growers Co., Rocky Ford, Colo 
