The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1922-03-03
MR.. ROBINSON ENLARGES ON
THE TOMATO SITUATION.
Bel Air,Md., Feb. q, 1922.

,.. Bel Ar, Md, Feb. q, 1922.
Editors The Aegis:--
Replying to Mr.. VIM. r. BAYS letter
IN your last weeks paper, | wish TO
say frst,that | appreciate Mr.. BAYS
coming out into the open to say what
he has TO say but | certainly had no
antlpathy toward the farmer. | have
been farmer all my life and am still
one.
agree with Mr.. Bay that the aver
age yield Of tomatoes is very much
lower thnn 800 bushels as IL also the
average yield of corn very much below
10 barIeIs. have grown 500 bushels
to the acre on 10 acres. | have aver
aged 400 bushels to the acre for three
successive years on the same field |
was then raiSing field corn also | do
not remember that my yield of field
corn was ever above * barrels and
Their only once. The rest Of my crops
OF held com averaged around about IL
barrels to the acre.
dbl not forget the fodder, but as
farmers aS II rule don't sell fodder,
and as ! have always thought il cost
Juat about Us much to haul the folder
INTO the barn and then haul it back INTO
the field as il was worth, | lid not
mention IT for the same reason that /
would not mention wheat straw Is a
part of the income from crop Of
wheat, although admit that fodder is
more valuable as food then the wheat
straw.
The question as to which Is harder
on the land, crop of corn OF crop of
tomatoes, Is not an unopcn question.
II Mr.. Bay will drop u line to our Ex.
pertinent Station at College Park, he
can get the figures. have seen them
but have forgotten.
When | wrote my letter two weeks
ago, had just bought few days prior
to that about 10 barrels of corn at
S2.75 per barrel delivered at my farm.
Prior to this,l bought 100 barrels of
corn since December at $2.75 per barrel
delivered to my corn cribs. That's
the reason ! said that $500 was more
than corn was selling for. Mr.. Bay
may have, however, some extra quality
corn for which he was offered $3.2b. /
notice that nearby yellow corn is quoted
at S3.45 toS360 on track in Baltimore
hut what will ii cost to freight il to
Baltimore and pay the commission
for selling il? am sure you can't
get corn to market in Baltimore for
50e per barrel.
agree with Mr.. Bay that there is
mere risk in tomatoes than there is in
corn. but there is also more possibility
of n larger gain. wish the farmers
could get soc for their Tomatoes. |
vi sh Gamers could afford to pay it but
II MIR. Bay will come to my office when
he is in Bel Air some day, think |
can show him that tomatoes are being
hudpht en- the Peninsula and N mdl-
ana and Utah at from $1,000 to $500
per ton. One of the largest packers in
Caroline County, cut the price Soc per
dozen on his No. 10 Tomatoes, We
called him up and asked him why he
did II and he gave as his reason that
he had bought all the Tomatoes he
wanted at $1,000 per ton and could
buy Us many more at $1,000. Now il
Nj, Bay can tell me how Hartford
County Gamers can pay Doc per bushel
and compete with the rest of the coun-
ttY brying their raw stock at anywhere
from Soc to 35c per huShel. | would he
$40" W. h'iH W hp W. bub, can we
10 eliminate the hazard in
growing Tomatoes thereby largely in.
'reasing the crop? Our County Agent
5 willing TO cooperate. He tells me he
,as 10 boys who want to organize
'oys' Tomato growing club and told /
lim that would supply the prizes il /
le will put il through.
Now, | think the Gamers and farm
rs should just stop scrapping about
he price and 20 TO work and see how
hey can increase the yields. (
Yours very truly,
W. T.. ROBINSON.