The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1903-03-22
Tomato CuIture.


versal one. 1t is found growing over
large extent of country. This is espe-
eiallv true as regards the United States.
Most of US who have reached the age
of so years can remember when the toma-
to was considered almost worthless, ex-
cent for its appearance. Then they we're
called love apples. At that time we did
not have the fine large fruit we now see
on our markets, as we'll as in our home
gardens.
: My earliest recollection Of the tomato is
that of the small, red cherry, which grew
Up around old houses or barns and came
up voluntarily. These were regarded as
curiosities and were used only as play
things. The next tomato that came to
cur notice was the Golden Trophy, very
large, rough variety The next step in
tomato development was in Mr.. Warmers
Red Trophy, which sold for while at
very high price, even at one time bring
ing as high as 10 cents for a single seed.
People had learned by this time to use
the fruit and the demand was constantly
on the increase. We cannot take time nor
space to follow up the constant improve
n.ents, but the many varieties We now
have have all been the result or out
growth of this improvement and all have
their original parentage in the old Red
Trophy. Whether this fruit has reached
its highest state of perfection is a ques-
ton. but one thing We do know is That
from very small acreage in this country
in the early sixties, we now see thou-
sands of acres each year planted of this
fruit, and the consumption is increasing
so rapidly that the largely Increased acre
age each year fails to supply the ever
increasing demand.
When the use of tomatoes was prst
commenced in this country 1t was con-
sidered dangerous to use them at ALL ana
there was much prejudice against thelr
use, as many claimed al that time that
the tomato contained cancer germs, ana
that people who ate them were sure OF
cancer This prejudice and ignorance has
all been removed, and now they are used
in various ways, and the demand for
cooked tomatoes has become so great
that factories for canning the fruit are
springing up in all parts of the country.
And yet with all this increased acreage
and all our increased methods for supply
ing the demand, there never has been a
time since the use of the tomato that the
supply was so short as it is now
OF course the bad season of 1902 for the
crop had much to do with this shortage,
yet there are many other causes. such as
disease and blight, and then the increased
price of grain has reduced the acreage
all of which have helped to cause this
great shortage. With this brief history
of the plant and its rapid gains In all
parts of the country as a staple food, we
will pass on and notice next
Soil for Tomatoes.
Perhaps the reader will have more In
Gulgence in following me through this
quite lengthy article on the tomato II l
should tell you here that l have made
~ INN
periInenting with tomatoes, and in grow
ing tomato seed for both private and
commercial uses for years. and that [
! hold the record for having grown the
largest crop of tomatoes ever grown In
the United States on one acre.
Several years ago l challenged the
United States on test of tomato growing
for one acre. In this friendly competition
| won out by growing 1900 bushels
on this test acre, This was no
guess work, but a full measured acre
of land and a full weight of sixty
ty pounds to the bushel | will explain
later how this crop was grown. The to-
mato plant is not so particular about
/ soil as Is the case with many other of our
| garden vegetables. Most any soil in the
| United States that will produce good
| crop of corn or potatoes is suitable for
| and will produce a good crop of tomatoes.
L
are those grown on moderately rich
clay soil. having a good porous clay sub
soil. but the land should not be made too
rich nor should fresh green manure be
used for these conditions will induce too
much growth of vine, cause blight and
rot, and the vines will not be so prolific
in fruit.
| However good stable or barnyard man
IRE has all the elements needed for nearly
/ II II o,,I rttlaa DO oa,,
be had 1t is far preferable to all other
| fertilizers. Blu even this should be well
rotted before using for tomatoes. A good
plan Is this: Where a piece of land has
been sufficiently MANFRED in the spring
with stable manure to produce good
crop of other vegetables or potatoes, this
would be sufficiently fortified for a crop
of good tomatoes the next year. But in
this case. | would recommend the sowing
of the land in rye in the fall as early as
| 1t could be spared from the vegetable
! crop The rye can be pastured with light
stock when dry, bat never when the land
| Is wet and then turned under In the
+, spring But pasture it off closely before
| turning under.
The land on which l raised my big crop
of tomatoes had been well fertiized the
| previous year with stable manure and
planted to cabbage. which produced a
| very ncdNy crop FeTDlZlnB LOT the CAD
bage crop was sufficient also for the to-
mato crop and no additional fertilizer
whatever was used on the land in produc-
ing this tomato crop The soil was what
we termed timber or hazel brush clay
soil, with porous clay subsoil. The land
had been deely broken the fall previous
to the planting of the cabbage crop. AL
low me to state here that my crops of to-
matoes on this same land for twelve
years under my system Of rotation Of
| crops-cabbage, beans melons or onions
! following these crops the following season
with tomatoes, never produced less than
! six hundred bushels and often as high
as eight hundred bushels to the acre.
| have been questioned how 1t is possible to
grow such crops of tomatoes on an acre.
Well for one thing we will say it cannot
| be done by the old system of framing and
| tying up the vines. Mention Is made hare
of these large yields simply to show what
! may be accomplished in tomato growing
where one has thorough knowledge of
the habits of the plant its adaptabiity
to various soils, as well as to show the
great advantage of intensive, as against
extensive farming, especially so in all
! truck farming. Note here that merton