76 
e 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. 
OUR TOMATO SEED 
Of recent years there has been a great improvement in to- 
mato 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 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 
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 Ceresan, Seme- 
san, or other seed disinfectant. 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 space about 4 inches 
apart. The article on page 6 gives information regarding hot- 
beds 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 dan- 
ger Sane off,’ Semesan spray will help correct “damp- 
ing off.” ; 
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 re- 
‘quired 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 cul- 
tivated 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 tto 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 before, 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 impossible to sufficiently 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. 

D. V. Burrell Seed Growers Co., Rocky Ford, Colo. 

