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 94. 
Another special item with us is Tomato seed. Burrell's Special Gulf State 
Market is one of the most popular purplish pink fruited varieties in several 
of the southern shipping sections. Listed on page 89. 
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 6r 
cocktail is growing by leaps and bounds. During the year 1929, the com¬ 
mercial packing of tomato juice was only 185,000 cases, while during 1936 
this had increased to 9,000,000 dases. 
OUR TOMATO SEED 
Of 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.. The soil, sunshine and irri¬ 
gation 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 94. 
HOW TO GROW TOMATOES 
One 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. The seed may be treated before planting 
using the New Improved Cereson or other seed disinfectants. 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 trans¬ 
planting 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. The article on page 5 gives information regarding 
hotbeds and cold frames. 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." Semesan spray 
will help correct "damping off." 
(Continued on page 86) 
See page 100 for Special Prices to Market Growers. 
85 
