Smyrna times., 1931-02-11
EARLY TOMATO PLANTS FOUND
To Be THE BEST PRODUCERS
COUNTY AGENT FINDS THIS
TRUE IN KENT COUNTY
Plants, Set Out Between May 15-
80 Yield Better Than Those
Planted June 1 to 10

AS tomatoes constitute one or
the leading cash crops in this sec
tion of the United States, it has
been considered important that
projects dealing with the improve
ment of this crop be incorporated
in the program of work for Kent
county during the past three years
and it has been with this idea in
mind that County Agent Russell
E. Wilson has established contracts
with Gamers and growers for the
purpose of securing records from
various demonstrations on improv-
ed cultural methods. One of the
major projects in the tomato i'm
provement program for Kent
county has consisted of making a
comparative study of the yielding
possibilities of the same varieties
set in the field at different dates
with the same fertilization and
cultivation given them throughout
the season. Although the value of
setting early tomato plants has be-
come fairly well established and
an adopted farm practice with
many farmers in Delaware and
also in other states, more definite
records are needed in order that
this project might be presented in
more concrete form to the to-
mato growers as whole in this
section. The chief object of this
project, therefore, has been to
demonstrate the economic import
ance and the increased yields per
acre which may be expected in
setting tomato plants in the field
between May 10 and May 80, as
compared to the period from June
to June 10, which is the usual
time when the majority of the
farmers set their plants. Demon
strations of this type were con-
Quoted last year by County Agent
Wilson with the Marglobe variety
on five farms in different parts of
the county, and some very inter
esting results were obtained rela-
tive to the value of this practice.
The average yield of tomatoes
from the plants which were set
during the period from May 10 to
May 80 was rs tons per acre, as
compared to a yield of SIS tons
per acre from the plants that were
set between the dates of June 10
June 10, resulting in difference
! of 2.3 tons per acre in favor of the
early plants. With normal weather
conditions, however, these yields
would have been much greater, and
perhaps there would have resulted
also wider difference in the yields
from the early and late settings, as
the early plants are able to make
considerably more growth before
foliage diseases check their devel-
opment, and they will also set a
larger percentage of tomatoes be-
fore the midsummer high temper
atures arrive. This increase in
production and the improved quail
ity of the tomatoes are sufficient
to warrant the growers following
this practice, and it is expected
that a large number of farmers
will either grow their plants in the
cloth-covered coldframes or pur-
chase the southern grown plants
this spring in order to have plants
for early setting in the field. AS
the result of these demonstrations
and publicity through the news
papers this phase of the tomato
improvement program has had a
wide spread of influence through
out this state as shown by the fact
that more growers each spring are
using early plants, and many of
the local canning factories are op-
ening earlier in the summer to
handle these tomatoes. Along with
this program there has been an in
creasing interest in the growing of
these early tomato plants in cloth
covered coldframes where the seed
is sown during the third week in
March. A coldframe 6 feet wide
and 20 feet long will produce
enough good tomato plants to set
an acre, and the cost of growing
plants by this method should not
exceed $3.50 per thousand. Those
/. farmers who have never grown
plants in this way, and who are
interested in building coldframes
this spring, are requested to get in
touch with their county agent who
will be glad to furnish detailed in
structions and recommendations
for operating these plant beds.