The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1922-02-20

Wnlcn economic conditions have ap
parently allotted us. Which shall ii
be? That is the vital question.
Speaking TO you as body OF farm
CIs, l believe the cost of the raw
stock can be materially reduced aid
this would help solve the problem,
not altogether, however, for 9th II
materials, cans, cases, and labor II ust
also share in this reduction. It has
been demonstrated repeatedly that
when the price to the consumer is
reasonable. that is. in harmony with
other food stuffs, the demand is
good, but whenever, it gets out of
line, the demand and consumption
are at once cut down.
Our only possible hope of beins
able to continue the tomato industry
cost SO we can enter competitive tor
in this territory en- its present basis
is to keep the cost to a point where
we can increase the demand in the
zone which present artificial and ma
tural conditions COnfine us. AS a.
ready limited. our climatic conditions
are the best in the world, aid with
our great variety of soil, there IS no
reason why if We seriously apply our
selves to the problem we cannot
compete with the world. 1t cannot
be done by haphaZard. unintelligent
methods. 1t cannot be done by Sim
ply hearing and not needing the adj
vice and knowledge we can get thru
our scientific experts of both our
state and national governments, but
it can be done thru their help and
our own experience. We can grow
two tens where he now grow one and
that alone reduces the cost almost
half Our average crop is four tons
10 the acre 1t should not be lSGs
than eight tons. 1 have known
numerous instances of II m! 10
tons grown right here at OFT doors.
but in order to compete with other
sections. We must raise our average
crop at least to eight tons. Growing
and canning tomatoes is the princi-
pal industry on the Eastern Shore of
Maryland and Delaware. Other sec
tiOns of the country are forging
ahead and absorbing the markets
that once were ours. Shall we let
this continue and sit idly by and see
this our one great industry slip away
from us? Remember once it is gone.
the problem will be still more diff
ficult to get it back. 1t probably
would never be done. The industry
has Just passed thru two most trying
years and is to-day, in a worse con-
dition than for twenty years past.
During 1921, less than half our
canning factories we're in operation
due largely to their extraordinary
losses in 1920 and the poor prospect
for profits, the present season. l
would not once suggest to the farm
er to take profit on their crop, but L
would urge you to reduce your cost
of production by increasing the
yield by using Intelligent business
methods in all your transactions by
applying the latest scientific infor-
nation obtainabIe through sources
at your command to the acre and
growth of your crops.
We have learned from experience
that a profitable crop of tomatoes
cannot be grown on poor soil nor
from poor seed or diseased plants.
The best soil is deep rich humus
and well Glained, cover crop should
be turned down when possible always
bringing about half inch of the
Sub-sOil to the surface, and the ploW-
ing should be done as early as con-
ditions will permit. If you manure
is we'll rottcd and fine, apply after
blowing and work it in with disk or
spring tooth harrow and keep the
surface cultivated once q week I'M
til planting time, thus conserving the
moisture where it is most needed. 1t
is the opinion of our best experts
that next to poor soils, the greatest
menace to the tomato industry is
poor seed
Comparatively fIw farmers appre-
cfate this truth or take any pains
whatever to improve their breed.
They will plant any kind of seed
without knowing anything about
their history or pedigree. Two
ounces of good seed will plant an
acre. You can produce these few
ounces of good seed yourself by care
full selection from year to year, or
you can purchase them from rella-
BILE dealers who make speciality OF
them. If selecting yourself, use only
those from strong, healthy vines.
and take for seed the fruit with few
seed and thick solid meat. "A to-
matO with too many seeds is never
good for any purpose. Unfortunate
", some seed growers without con-
science select stock that will produce
the most seed This, Of course, to
reduce the cost in order to sell cheap
seed, but for you as a tomato grow
er, they would be dear as a gift.
These two conditions Of soil and seed
must be met, otherwise your crop
will not be profitable. If you cannot
for any reason secure good seed or
have the right type of soil, it would
be better to dispense with the tomato
crop altogether. One other reason
why our average crop is only four
tons to the acre ana hence unprofta-
Bile. is because orr farmers have
spread their efforts over too many
acres. If you will concentrate your
energies and manures on five acres
instead of ten. you will produce more
tomatoes and of better quality and
YOU will have a good margin Or pro-
fit. Then, I really think 1t is mis-
fortune that so many of our people
are engaged in this industry, either
in growing or canning tomatoes and
sometimes DOIu, III SCIly NJ 11t1AA w
ly Doctors, lawyers, merchants,
preachers teachers have been luHed
from their professions to engage in
this big game. The gold mines and
oil fields of the West never absorb
ed the interests of their citizens any
more completely than the canning
industry has taken and held the at
tention of our people of the Maryland
Delaware Peninsula il the past quar-
ter of a century.
The past three years have shaken
out many of the weak and inefficient
factors in this business, but the end
is not yet. The shaking is not en-
tirely over. The hapazard faImer is
not the only inefficient. We have
found large percentage of these en-
gagged in the factory end of this game
quite as inefficient and defective in
his operations as the farmer who
grows one or two tons to the acre.
the inefficient grower and the ineffi-
Cient Gamer should both be eliminat-
ed as far as possible and the business
IL rlD