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 meal. There is 
no better appetizer than tomato juice. 
OUR TOMATO SEED 
Our tomato seed certainly must have “‘something on the ball’ 
because sales are so heavy in the larger tomato shipping districts. 
With probably no other vegetable is the value of high altitude grow- 
ing 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 
acon crops are grown from select stock seed saved from individual 
Plants. 
HOW TO GROW TOMATOES 
Many commercial growers now drill tomato seed in the field at 
the rate of % to 2/3 pound per acre. Depth of planting about le 
to % inch. This method is practiced here in the Rocky Ford district 
and in the southern states. Loss in earliness is very little. Plants 
are thinned to distances and rows spaced as indicated for trans- 
planted plants. 
planting to the field. Sufficient plants for a small garden can be 
started by sowing in a shallow box: see (D) page 93. When the 
seedlings reach the height of about one inch they may be trans- 
Planted in a larger box, hotbed or cold frame and space about 4 
PLANTING IN HOTBEDS 
Be sure to read the information given on pages 5 and 6 concern- 
ing hotbeds; soils, watering and draining, Planting and heating. 
TRANSPLANTING 
Varieties with small vines may be set four feet by four feet 
which will require 2,723 plants per aere. 1,743 plants are re- 
quired if spaced 5 feet by 5 feet. This much room or more 
eing required by the large vining sorts such as Norton and 
Marglobe. If checked in Squares, plants may be cultivated both 
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 plant. The new mechanical plant setters used on 
large acreages automatically supply water to the roots. Water 
should be used freely and the wet surface immediately covered 
with dry soil about the plant. Set the plants deeply (about 
two-thirds of the stem) and new roots will be thrown out from 
the buried portion. 
Continued following page 
Hotbed Heaters listed page 5 
D. V. Burrell Seed Growers Co., Rocky Ford, Colo. 
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