
HE 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 meal. There is no 
better appetizer than tomato juice. 
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 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 grow- 
ing plants and results in larger yields of high quality tomatoes. Our 
| seed crops are grown from select stock seed saved from individual 
| Dilantss. 
| ‘HOW TO GROW TOMATOES 
Many commercial growers “now drill tomato seed in the field at 
the rate of % to % pound per acre. Depth of planting about % to 
% inch. This method is practiced here in the Rocky Ford district. 
| Loss in earliness is very little. Plants are thinned to distances and 
| rows spaced as indicated for transplanted plants, 
| One ounce of seed will produce 2000 to 3000 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 Arasan, Semesan, 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 gardeh 
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 transplanted in a larger box, hot bed 
or cold frame and space about 4 inches apart. The article on page 6 
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. 
i It is much better, however, to keep the beds cool enough so that short, I 
H stocky, hardy plants are produced. Keep the soil moist enough for 
i good steady growth. Too much watering will result in spindling 
| plants and increases the danger of “damping off.’’ Semesan spray 
will help correct “‘damping. off.” } 








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a 
73 
Staking special plants from which to save stock seed for our own plantings, 
Limited amounts of stock seed are sold as our Super Select Grade, see page 82. 













