Days given are from setting of 
plants to Marketable fruits. 
Tomato 
Weights given of average fruits are as grown in our own seed fields. These 
may vary under other growing and climatic conditions. 
{Continued from page 85) 
TRANSPLANTING 
Varieties with small vines may be set four feet by four feet which 
will require 2,723 plants per acre. 1,743 plants are required if spaced 
5 feet by 5 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 pomts to 
be regarded are: care in taking up the plants to ovoid 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 sim from withering and 
blighting the leaves. Before setting out. harden the plants by letting them 
get quite dry o day or two before, but give them abimdonce 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 impossible to suffi¬ 
ciently press it about the plants without baking hard. Never set a field 
without the use of water. 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. Water should 
be used freely and the wet surface immediately covered with dry soil about 
the plants. Set the plants deeply (about two-thirds of the stem) and new 
roots will be thrown out from the buried portion. 
WATERING 
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 shouldf never be sprinkled 
over the leaves while they are exposed to the bright sunshine. If water¬ 
ing 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. Too much watering or rainfall will result in excessive vine growth 
and light sets of fruit. 
TRAINING AND PRUNING 
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 grow¬ 
ers. Many, however, pmch out all lateral branches as soon as they appear 
and confine the growth to one stem. When severdl 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 earliness over unpruned plants. There is more danger of spreod of cer¬ 
tain diseases with primed than with unpruned tomatoes. 
Cultivate as long as the vines will permit. The last two or three work¬ 
ings of the soil should be very shallow. 
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 been found that a side dressing with thi^ 
fertilizer is not nearly as effective os where placed in this maimer. 
SPRAYING AND DUSTING 
In some localities it is necessary to maintain a strict spraying schedule 
beginning with the small plants and continuing each week throughout the 
growing season. A solution of combined bordeaux and arsenate of lead 
is ^ ordinarily used, although in some stotes where spraying laws prevent 
this, some non-arsenical must be used. 
PSYLLID 
This minute insect often attacks tomatoes and the gardener loses his 
crop without determining the cause. They are very small and appear some¬ 
what like aphids. The tomato leaves turn grey and roll although there is no 
wilting. The leaves become hard and the plants stunted. A very few psyllid 
con permanently injure the tomato plant. We suggest ousting with 
Pyrethrum-Sulphur Dust as soon as this pest appears, using a funnel on 
the end of the discharge pipe of the duster and place this over the plant 
to confine the dust. 
86 
D. V. Burrell Seed Growers Co., Rocky Ford, Colo. 
