The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1910-07-06
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Tomato as a Field
Crop for CannerieS.
lie Roy Cady, Division of Hort.
culture, Minnesota Expert
ment Station.
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for canner1eS, as well as any other
crop, requires definite knowledge and
careful practice along four lines
first, selection of variety; second. the
growing of plants; third, the selec.
ton and preparation of the soil: fourth
cultivation and fertilization of the
land
Selecting Varieties to Grow. A
great many people have the idea that
any tomato is good for canning. This
is a wrong idea, as there is quality in
the tomato as well as anything else
and quality in canned goods is an i'm
portant factor. 1t is, therefore, neces-
sary to have varieties that are of good
quality for canning.
Earliness of the plants doesn't
make much difference, as what is
wanted is a large tomato of good quail.
ity The main point Is to select va
rieties that produce large, smooth.
solid fruits, which do not remain
green or crack on the shaded side
near the stem. Those which possess
size as their chief characteristic are
frequently of poor quality, as they are
apt to possess large seed cavities and
ripen unevenly. The Stone, Paragon
and Livingston's Perfection are among
the varieties that are especially adapt.
ed to grow for canning.
Variations as to the quality Of diff
ferent crops of tomatoes from farmers
in the same neighborhood make diff.
ference sometimes of from twenty-five .
to forty cans on ton of fruit, or from
to 10 per cent. In good seasons, and
with good fruit, 400 cans is about the
maximum that can be derived from a
ton. The better the quality of the
fruit, the better the quality of the
canned product; consequently, a bet
ter price can be obtained for both the
raw and manufactured product.
Growing the Plants. AS earliness is
not a requirement, the plants may be
started in this section early in April,
either sown in flats in greenhouse or
hotbed and transplanted to other flats |
or in coldframe and transplantedI
from this into the field. They areI
sometimes sown rather thinly in cold.I
frames, or even in the open ground, inI
localities where the season is early,
and then transplanted directly to thel
field from the first to the middle of
June. 1t is important during the grow.
ing season to keep them cultivated
and growing thriftily and making
stocky plants.
Land. The tomato as field crop Isl
~ of ,,
a medium clay is probably the best.
Any good potato land ought to grow
tomatoes to advantage. Land that has
produced a good clover sod, or soil up
on which corn was the preceding CROP,
is best. 1t should be deeply plowed
in the autumn or early spring, SO as to-
destroy insects and get it in good
physical condition. If manure is to be
added, it may be added to land that
has been plowed in the fall, early in
the spring, or during winter, and then
plowed under very shallow in the
spring. Commercial fertilizers are
very often applied to the crop in the
older sections of the country, but
should be applied sparingly in this
section. Farmyard manures are prob
ably best for our conditions.
Setting the Plants. The plants should
be set out four by four and one-half
feet apart, and cultivation should COM
mence at once and continue as long as
it is possible to go between them.
Deep cultivation should be practiced
at first, gradually growing shallower
with each cultivation. The crop
should begin ripening in August and
continue until September or frost.
Deliveries to the cannery are regu-
lated largely by the cannery. Usually,
a contract is entered into between the
grower and the factory specifying con-
ditions of growing and delivery. Prob
ably the fairest form Of contract
would call for the growing Of GER
tain number of acres rather than the
delivery of a certain number Of tons,
as it is impossible for the farmer to
anticipate the season. Provisions are
frequently put in the contract to COW
er the date of the beginning of the
delivery.
A number OF diseases affect the to-
mato, among them, leaf-spot, leaf
mould and a great many others. They
are hard to keep in check by spraying
or other methods Probably thorough
care in the handling of the plants, to
keep them thrifty and under the best
growing conditions, is the best pre-
tentative of disease.
Farmers Bulletin 220, from which
a good deal of this article has been
taken, deals with tomato growing, and
will be found interesting reading for
anyone growing tomatoes. This can
be secured from the Secretary of Ag-
riculture, at Washington, d. @.
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! Professor Hacker of the :
+ Minnesota Experiment Station, +
!. who is an international author !.
+ ity on dairying. estimates the +
!. feeding value of ton of fod- :.
q. der corr, OF CT on aa nomparad -