Robert Burrell and a field of Pearson Tomatoes he has staked for the super select 
grade of seed. These plants must pass very rigid Inspection for trueness to type, 
yleld, appearance, uniformity and exceptional quality of the frults. 
WATERING 
{Continued from page 65) 
Water may be given to the roots at any time, but should never 
be sprinkled over the leaves while they are exposed to the bright 
sunshine. One copious watering is better than many sprinklings. 
The ground should always be stirred before it becomes so very 
dry as to cake or crack. Too much watering or rainfall during 
the growing season 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 growers. Many, however, 
pinch out all lateral branches as soon as they appear and con- 
fine the growth to one stem. When several clusters of fruits 
are set on, the vines are topped; this stops further growth of 
the vine and concentrates the energy of the plant toward ma- 
turing 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 spread of certain diseases with 
pruned than with unpruned tomatoes. 
Cultivate as long as the vine will permit. The last two or 
three workings of the soil should be very shallow. 
Earliness of tomatoes may be increased as much as a week 
or ten days by use of super-phosphate or commercial fertilizer. 
This is best supplied as a solution to the roots of the Plants at 
the time of transplanting. Some Southern growers have found 
it advantageous to plant about half as many hills of corn in the 
field as there are tomato plants. This provides much needed 
shade and guards against hot winds. It is claimed sunburning 
is lessened and yields increase by this method. Others stake the 
fields and similarly plant pole beans instead of corn, 
SPRAYING AND DUSTING 
In some localities it is necessary to maintain a strict spray- 
ing schedule, once in the seedbed and twice after transplanting, 
using a fixed copper or other good fungicide. One spray should 
contain Marlate for control of flea beetles, tomato fruit worm 
and pinworm. If late control is necessary, repeat spraying using 
Marlate or Rotenone dust one week before picking starts. 
PSYLLID 
This minute insect often attacks tomatoes and the gardener 
loses his crop without determining the cause. They are very 
Small and appear somewhat like aphides. The tomato leaves 
turn grey and roll although there is no wilting. The leaves 
become hard and the plants stunted. A very few psyllid can 
permanently injure the tomato plant. We suggest dusting with 
sulphur at the rate of 75 lbs. per acre. 
Please remember that sulphur can be used on tomato plants, 
but be careful that the wind does not blow it over on canta- 
loupe, cucumber and some other crops as sulphur will kill them. 
SS 
D. V. Burrell Seed Growers Co., Rocky Ford, Colo. 
