Milford chronicle., 1923-03-30
MORE TOMATOES FROM FEWER ACRES.
Bulletin Recently Issued By University OF Maryland Tells OF Re-
suits Obtained In That State.

cooperative demonstration each
grower pulled plants from the bed as
needed for setting and paid actual cost
of growing the plants. The majority
of plants were set the first week in
June. Later settings gave poorer
Yields. In some cases poor methods
were used in setting plants and con-
siderable loss resulted from roots
drying out because the soil was not
firmly packed around the roots.
CULTIVATION-The number of cul-
tivations given in the field varied, but
the best results were obtained from
fields receiving from four to five cul-
tiyations. The first cultivation was
usually about 21s inches deep, the Ia
ter civilizations being only 11a to 2
inches deep. The last cultivation was
given with a one-horse cultivator in
order to avoid injuring the vines. In
some cases, however, cultivation was
continued too long, many green to-
matoes being knocked OFF and the
vines injured.
HARVESTING THE FRUIT-Great
stress was laid on the necessity for
care in picking the fruit. 1t was pick
ed as soon as possible after ripening,
so that the growth of the green toma-
toes would not be checked. P1ckers
were cautioned to avoid trampling on
the vines and knocking off the green
fruit
Believing that reliable source of
seed is very important if yields are
TO be increased, seed was saved from
bigh-vielding plants for future plant
ing. The method of saving seed was
verv simple. The selected tomatoes
were placed in a barrel and crushed,
after which a little water was added.
The mass was allowed to ferment ana
stirred occasionally. In two or three
davs the seed settled to the bottom
and the pulp was then poured OH. Al
ter the seed had been washed careIul-
lv, it was spread out to dry IN
shady, we'll ventilated place. care
was taken to dry seed quickly to pre-
vent gerimination. Artificial heat was
NOT used on account of the danger OF
ini1ring the vitality of the seed.
crop ROTATION-The importance
Of crop rotation was strikingly Illus
tIated bv the discovery of one held
baGIv infected with wilt. Upon inquiry
II % was found that this field had been
n1onted to tomatoes for three consec-
utive years. ,,oD,cTD ATrOI
U7TETDS-Sixty fields, totaling 2z5
acres were included in the field DEM
onstrations and reports were obtained
from so of these. While the aVeraso
tomato yield for the entire State was
only 3.5 tons per acre, and TOT CecA
county under ordinary cultural metn-
ODDS a tons, average yield for the DEM
onstration fields was 8 tons.
DISCUSSION OF RESULTS
The real aim of the project was to
demonstrate that Well-groWn plants
are most important factors in securing
Increased yields of tomatoes. Plant
growing is a specialized business de-
manding the most careful attention
to detail. The majority Of farmers are
so busy in early spring that they are
not able to give their plant beds the
porper supervision and this results in
the setting of plants of such poor
quality that good yields are impos-
sible. The centralized plant bed made
it possible to grow uniformly good
plants for the entire community. 10
show that the plant bed was sue
cess the growers stated that the plants
were the best that they had ever seen.
The illustrations in this bulletin 1ndl-
cate that the quality of plants was
much above the average of those or
dinarily grown.
The fact should be kept in mind that
the results secured in the plant bed
were due to the application OF well
known methods which have been ad-
vocated for many years by the EXper-
iment Station and the Extension Ser
vice. The success of the demonstra-
ton was due, first of all, to a real 10
cal leader, Mr.. Wallace Williams, on
whose farm the demonstration was
conducted; secondly, to the publicity
given by the local papers; and thirdly
to the financial support received from
local business men and from the Tr1-
State Gamers Association, which
made it possible to secure necessary
fertilizer, tools for seeding and culti-
waiting and apparatus for spraying.
While the purpose of this project
was first of al Ito grow good plants,
results secured from their use in the
field in comparison with ordinary
plants were necessary to prove that
they would increase yields. Every eff
fort was made to induce growers to
adopt the best field methods, yet it
was impossible to give as close super
vision to the field operations as was
given to the plant bed. Other factors
undoubtedly Influenced the results, yet
it is a significant fact that the aver
age yield for the demonstration fields
was twice that secured in fields out
side the demonstrations.
GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS
Maryland has many of the condi-
tiOns essential to the successful pro-
duction of the tomato crop but in or
der to play the leading part in this
industry it would seem necessary to
adopt more up-to-date methods in Or
der to raise the average yield per
acre. In order to attain this result the
following recommendations are given:
1. Secure good seed from fruit of
good quality from high-yielding
plants. Growers should save their
own seed.
2. Growers using the open seed bed
method should fertilize and prepare
the soil carefully. Sow seed thinly in
the row so that plants will have room
for development. Give careful cultiva-
ton and spray thoroughly in the plant
bed with bordeaux and arsenate Of
lead four or five times to control in