OMATO 
 CULTURE 
 
 By W. A. VAN CAMP 
 
 INDIANAPOLIS. IND. 
 
Livingston's Stone Tomato 
 
 Has again scored big triumphs over 
 all competitors the past season. From 
 leading canning centers of Ohio, Indi- 
 ana, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, 
 etc., comes the news that the old reli- 
 able Livingston's Stone is still the most 
 dependable of all large bright red sorts 
 for canners' use. For many years it 
 has been 
 
 The "Stand-by" of the Canners 
 
 For perfect production of highest 
 grade tomato seed, Ohio is the Ideal 
 state. With us originated the most 
 profitable sort of tomatoes ever intro- 
 duced. Livingston's Paragon, Living- 
 ston's Favorite, Livingston's Coreless 
 and Livingston's Hummer are a few of 
 the sorts that have helped the canning 
 industry to make better products and 
 bigger profits. To-day our sales are 
 measured by Tons of Seeds. 
 
 Liviogston's Tomato Seeds are sold in sealed packages only. 
 Qnotations and Seed Annual on Request. 
 
 The Livingston Seed Co. 
 
 COLUMBUS, OfflO 
 
Tomato Cultivation 
 
 A PRACTICAL TREATISE ON THE 
 
 GROWING AND CULTIVATION 
 
 OF THE TOMATO 
 
 By ^VILL A. VAN CAMP 
 
 INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA 
 
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 (i 
 
 ,^1 
 
 €Cf.A334616 
 
TOMATO CULTIVATION 
 
 Every year a new series of cultivators, 
 both of farm and garden, springs into ex- 
 istence. If these young men could be per- 
 suaded to take up the work from the 
 scientific standpoint, agriculture could 
 soon be elevated to an art. Instead of 
 meeting the same difficulties as their 
 fathers, they could benefit themselves and 
 their State by profiting by the experiences 
 of their predecessors. To these progres- 
 sive minds who are interested in the suc- 
 cessful cultivation of the tomato, we sub- 
 mit the following suggestions of work, 
 based upon the most careful observation 
 and experience. 
 
 First Tomato 
 
 The first tomato was the small Red 
 Cherry. The next one was the Golden 
 Trophy, a very large, rough variety. The 
 next kind was Mr. Warner's Red Trophy, 
 
 Copyrighted 1913 3 
 
which, for a while, sold for a very high 
 price, and at one time brought as much 
 as ten cents for one seed. 
 
 It would be impossible to follow up the 
 constant improvement of the tomato and 
 its rapid progress in all parts of the coun- 
 try as a staple food, in this brief history 
 of the plant; so we will pass on. 
 
 Soil for Tomatoes 
 
 One of the most important factors in 
 securing an assured crop of tomatoes is 
 the procuring of good soil. 
 
 It is quite true that success in growing 
 tomatoes has been had in almost all kinds 
 of soil. To be on the safe side, however, 
 care should be taken in selecting the soil 
 to be used. A clay loam, well drained, 
 will produce, as a rule, a large crop of 
 very solid tomatoes. In some districts 
 last season, where a rich, sandy loam was 
 used, a very large yield was obtained. 
 However, the best tomatoes are those 
 grown in a moderately rich clay soil with 
 a good porous clay sub-soil, but the land 
 should not be made too rich, for this con- 
 
dition will induce too much growth of 
 vine, cause blight and rot, and the vine 
 will not be so prolific in fruit. 
 
 Drainage 
 
 The soil used for the tomato crop 
 should be well drained either by nature 
 or atificial means. The first two weeks 
 after the plant is set in the field is the 
 time when the plant cannot stand much 
 water. Care must be taken that young 
 plants do not have "wet feet." 
 
 Planting and Making Beds 
 
 Use common out-door hot beds. Nearly 
 all farmers understand the making of 
 these, yet it is well to mention a few 
 points about preparing them for toma- 
 toes. For each acre of tomatoes, provide 
 a hot bed 6' x 10'. These hots beds should 
 be made during the last week in March 
 or the first week in April. 
 
 The deep beds are far the best; and 
 those with heating material placed under 
 the ground are much better than the 
 beds which are above the ground, for 
 those under hold the heat much loneer. 
 
This heat is an essential for the tomatoes. 
 A deep bed not only retains the heat 
 longer, after the bed is once thoroughly 
 heated, but is more uniform throughout. 
 
 Making Hot Beds 
 
 Use boards 18" wide for the sides and 
 ends. Excavate 8", using the soil to 
 bank up the sides and ends ; this will pre- 
 vent water from seeping into the excava- 
 tion and cooling the bed. 
 
 One should use not less than 12 inches 
 of fresh stalile manure well trodden down 
 and elevated only a few inches above the 
 surface. The next important item is to 
 have plenty of good, rich dirt, using not 
 less than 5 inches, and laying it on as 
 soon as the bed is formed. Then put on 
 the cover — glass preferred — close tightly 
 and let it remain so until the bed becomes 
 thoroughly hot. A canvas cover may be 
 used, but it is likely to admit too much 
 air, thus allowing the bed to cool. It is 
 sometimes a week before it is thoroughly 
 heated. Then work the soil and sow the 
 seeds in rows 8" apart, using five seeds to 
 the inch. I wish to call your attention to 
 
pressing the soil firmly upon the seed. If 
 you wish to transplant the plant from 
 this bed to a cold bed, you may sow the 
 seeds in rows 6" apart and use eight 
 seeds to the inch. The transplanting 
 should be done after the plant has put 
 out the second leaf. Transplanted plants 
 should be set in rows 2" apart and 2" 
 wide. Use an old saw blade for making 
 the furrows in which to set the plants. 
 See that no plant is bent, but that each 
 is perfectly straight. This will make the 
 plants much easier to handle. 
 
 Making Warm Beds 
 
 These beds should be made 5^' wide 
 and as long as one may desire. Use 
 lumber 12" wide and make the cover out 
 of muslin. Drive a stake about 20" in 
 height at the middle x><^>iiit of each end. 
 Then draw a wire from the sides across 
 the end and another wire through the 
 middle. This will niake your roof like 
 that of a house. You can now put the 
 wires across at a distance of every eight 
 feet in the same manner. This will hold 
 the cover up well. 
 
Fasten one side firmly and secure the 
 other side by means of loops. This de- 
 vice will be very useful when you wish 
 to give the plants sunlight. Let these 
 beds stand three days before sowing the 
 seed. The beds should be made as fol- 
 lows: 
 
 Excavate either the south or east end 
 of the bed 1^" lower than the other end. 
 This will allow for drainage. Use 4" of 
 fresh stable manure and pack it solidly. 
 Then cover it with 3" of good rich soil. 
 Top dress the bed with 1" of very rich 
 soil and work this well into the top of the 
 other soil, using a small garden rake. 
 Cover the bed and let it stand for three or 
 four days. Then work the soil again. In 
 sowing the seed, sow it 1" deep, using 
 four seeds to the inch and putting the 
 rows 6" apart. By means of a board 
 press the seed solidly into the soil. This 
 will produce even germination. 
 
 In working the plants, use a little tool 
 made after this fashion. Take a stick and 
 drive four eight penny nails into the end. 
 This you will find to be the best tool you 
 can secure for working the plants. 
 
In taking plants out of the bed, never 
 pull them, but tirst loosen the soil so 
 that you can lift them out, breaking no 
 roots, and with some of the soil still 
 clinging- to the plant. In case we should 
 have any cold weather, your plants will 
 probably need more protection than the 
 muslin cover. A lantern is not be used 
 on account of the danger of fire or smoke. 
 A thin covering of straw placed over the 
 muslin is the best protection you can 
 obtain. The plants should have plenty 
 of air after they reach a height of six 
 inches. If you wish to rush them you can 
 do it by watering them every day and by 
 keeping them covered. The plant should 
 be eight inches tall before you take it out 
 of the bed to set it in the field. 
 
 Growing Plants in Cold Beds 
 
 We find that many of our growers 
 think it is too much work to grow plants 
 in a hot or warm bed, and hence they 
 prefer a cold bed. The" preparing of the 
 cold bed is neglected and often poor re- 
 sults are obtained. Cover your plant bed 
 with 2" to 3" of fresh stable manure in 
 
the fall, then in the spring rake it off 
 before plowing. Plow the bed 5" to 6" 
 deep, then cover the bed with a good coat 
 of well rotted manure ; then rake the soil, 
 seeing tliat there are no clods or uneven soil. 
 Have it in perfect condition and quite 
 mellow ; then if you have a seed sower 
 set it as you would to sow beet seed. 
 Make a small furrow, then sow the seed. 
 If you have no drill, take a tin can that 
 has a lid, and punch the bottom full of 
 holes like a pepper box. Use a ten-penny 
 nail. Punch holes from the outside. This 
 will scatter the seed in the furrow ; then 
 cover with a hoe or garden plow. Do not 
 try to get the seed sown in a narrow row. 
 If the seed are sown in a furrow 2" to 
 3" wide, the seed will scatter and make 
 much better plants. Do not pull the 
 plants, but dig them up and save all the 
 little roots. Do not sow seed on the north 
 side of fence or building. See that your 
 plants get the morning sun — an east or 
 south slope is best. The rows in a large 
 bed should be 16" apart, in a small bed 
 they can be 10" apart. 
 
 I have had the very best results in 
 
growing plants in the open field by using 
 500 pounds of commercial fertilizer to the 
 acre. I use a garden plow to make my 
 furrows and sprinkle my fertilizer in the 
 furrow. If you have a seed drill, you can 
 incorporate the fertilizer with the soil by 
 means of the drill. If not, use the plow 
 and make the furrow a little deeper. I 
 make the rows sixteen inches apart thus 
 giving plenty of room for hand cultiva- 
 tion. I am never troubled with any fungi 
 in this plant bed. My plants are a few 
 days later, but are very strong and stalky. 
 
 Sowing the Seed 
 
 It is of utmost importance to know 
 when and how to sow the seed in the 
 beds. In hot beds, one should wait until 
 the weed and grass seed get a good start. 
 Then take a fine steel-tooth rake and work 
 the soil until all young weeds and grass 
 which have started have been destroyed, 
 and the soil made perfectly fine. Then 
 commence at one end of the bed to sow 
 the seed. They should always be sown 
 north and south across the bed in drills 
 6" apart. The furrows should be from 
 
1" to 2" deep. Sow the seed thinly and 
 with the back of the hand press them 
 firmly in the soil and cover with fine dirt. 
 Great care must be taken not to sow the 
 seed too thickly. Where tliis has been 
 done the young plants must be thinned 
 out at once. When the sowing of the seed 
 is completed, take a board and press the 
 soil firmly over the seed. This operation 
 is of the greatest importance in order to 
 secure quick and even germination. By 
 using this method, you will be able to 
 secure good, strong, healthy plants. Here 
 lies the secret of success in tomato grow- 
 ing — the securing of good, strong, stalky, 
 well-rooted plants. This is all important 
 for shipment, as it is only from such 
 plants that fine, early tomatoes are grown. 
 
 Then watering is a very important mat- 
 ter, and great care must be taken in this 
 operation to prevent damping oflf. Water 
 out of wells or springs should never be 
 used, unless warmed. Let it rain on the 
 beds when possible, for this is far better 
 thn watering by hand. 
 
 As to the time of the season to sow the 
 seed — this depends entirely upon the lo- 
 
callty. One should always reckon to sow 
 the seed about six weeks before the time 
 to set in the open field. This is ample 
 time for the plants to get all the growth 
 needed. It is best not to begin until time 
 to hurry the plants right along from the 
 day they come up until they are set in 
 open field. Plants started and dwarfed 
 never do well. 
 
 Preparing Field for Setting of Plants 
 
 The preparation of the soil is another 
 important factor in the proper raising of 
 tomatoes. The ground should be pre- 
 pared in the following manner : 
 
 Plow the ground as early as possible 
 in the spring at the depth of 8", and 
 allow to settle. The soil should be worked 
 once a week with a disc or harrow. This 
 will keep the ground clear of weeds or 
 grass. A few days before setting the 
 plants, you should perpare the soil in the 
 same manner by using thedisc and loos- 
 ening the ground to a depth of 5". Then 
 fertilize by using a wheat drill, then disc 
 again so as to thoroughly incorporate the 
 fertilizer with the soil. If the soil is full 
 
of clods, make it loose by using a good, 
 heavy drag. If the ground is meadow, 
 or, in fact, if it contains any kind of grass, 
 I advise the use of the disc, together v^ith 
 the drag. If you do this once a week it 
 will make you a perfect bed for your 
 plants and will eventually prove a great 
 saving in the cultivation. 
 
 Preparation of Plants for Field 
 
 The correct preparation of the plants 
 is another essential to a good crop. In 
 taking the plants out of the beds, loosen 
 the soil so that the plant may be easily 
 lifted out. By pulling a plant your bruise 
 it and break ofif all the small roots. 
 Moisten the roots, but not the top of the 
 plant, as soon as you take it out of the 
 bed; 
 
 We wish to warn the tomato growers 
 against placing the young plants in stand- 
 ing water, as they are very easily scalded. 
 Instead, we advise that they be put into a 
 mulch of mud and water, as this keeps the 
 plant moist and fresh until set in the field. 
 
 There are two kinds of plants which 
 can be grown almost side bv side, one 
 
with a long- tap root, the other with the 
 roots in a chister. I prefer the plant with 
 a cluster of roots grown b}^ top dressing". 
 A plant bed that has been manured heav- 
 ily, turned under, and not top dressed, will 
 grow a plant with a long, slim tap root. 
 If broken ofif, the plant will stop growing 
 for several days and will wilt when set in 
 the field. A plant grown with a top dress- 
 ing only will grow the roots nearer the 
 surface and the roots will be in a cluster. 
 When the plant is set in the field, and a 
 small amount of water is used in setting, 
 it will not wilt down, thereby contribut- 
 ing toward an earlier crop. 
 
 Seasoning Plants 
 
 We often find tomato plants very ten- 
 der on account of their quick growth. 
 The cultivator sometimes has trouble in 
 getting such plants to grow. Should 
 your plants be of this sort, I advise that 
 you season them. This is accomplished 
 by taking them out of the beds and plac- 
 ing them in small bunches under a cover. 
 Keep the roots moist, but not water- 
 soaked. Allow the plants to stand from 
 
one to three days. You will find that the 
 plant thus nurtured will grow much bet- 
 ter and will prove to be a strong plant. 
 
 Time for Transplanting to the Field 
 
 The plants should be transplanted not 
 earlier than May 15th, and not later than 
 June 15th. Some seasons we have set 
 them out as late as July 1st, and have 
 obtained a good crop, but this seldom 
 happens. 
 
 Setting Plants in Open Field 
 
 The soil should be in good condition, 
 well worked down, and fresh. Cross it 
 out with a marker, and in furrowing it 
 do not allow the earth to get dry before 
 setting the plants. Keep setting the 
 plants up close to the plow. The dis- 
 tance for setting plants in the field is at a 
 space of 4' x 4', and it will bring good re- 
 sults ; but on a very rich black soil they 
 should be set 4' x 5' and even 5' x 5' is 
 not too far apart on some land. There 
 are many kinds of tools which may be 
 used in setting the plants, and all are suc- 
 cessful. My plan for hand-setting is to 
 
use a common, flat, narrow spade. A nar- 
 row and short-handled hoe is often used 
 with good results. A sharp, wooden peg 
 is the poorest tool you can use. It makes 
 a hole which you cannot close without 
 packing the soil, and which does not shut 
 off the air from the roots. The plant- 
 setting machines are doing good work. 
 If your ground is mellow, as it should be, 
 a plant-setter is a splendid labor-saving 
 implement. 
 
 The plants should be of good size and 
 stalky, but not overgrown or in bloom, 
 after taking them up they should be 
 placed in boxes or pans in an upright po- 
 sition. If ])ossible, set them out along 
 toward night or after showers, as they 
 recover sooner. After watching growers 
 for several years, and also from actual 
 experience, it has been found that when 
 setting a plant into the field, about one- 
 half to one pint of water should be used, 
 pouring it on a small portion of earth that 
 should cover tlie roots, and a little dry dirt 
 sliould be left on top. This will exclude all 
 nil- and keep the plants moist. While it 
 takes :i little longer to set out the plants 
 
by using water, it will pay at the end of 
 the season. The plants should be set 
 deeply. If the above described method is 
 closely followed, the plants will start to 
 grow immediately. 
 
 Fertilizing 
 
 One week before setting the plants, dis- 
 tribute, by means of a two-horse wheat 
 drill, over the ground, not less than 300 
 to 500 pounds of fertilizer-' to 'the acre. 
 Then harrow or disc the soil in order to 
 thoroughly mix the fertilizer with it. 
 Next mark off the distance apart which 
 you expect to set the plants, 4' x 4', 
 4'x4j/^', or 5' X 5'. In order to drill the 
 fertilizer both ways, use a one-horse five- 
 hole wheat drill, closing up the two out- 
 side holes, the wheel of the drill being in 
 the mark. By this method you obtain 
 double fertilization in the cross where 
 you are to set the plant. Use a disc or 
 harrow to thoroughly mix the fertilizer 
 with the soil. Be sure to leave the marks 
 at the ends of the field so that you can 
 again mark the ground for the setting of 
 the plain's, the same as before. In this 
 
 20 
 
way you will be able to set the plant 
 where it should be to give it the imme- 
 diate results, that is, directly in the cross 
 where you have double fertilized. 
 
 Next plan : As soon as the plant has 
 started to grow, scatter around the plant 
 \y2 oz., or a large tablespoonful of ferti- 
 lizer. Use care not to get any of the 
 fertilizer on the plant, as it will injure the 
 plant. Next. As this fertilizer must be 
 thoroughly blended with the soil, mix the 
 two with a hoe. You cannot obtain good 
 results by using a plow, as you are not 
 able to mix the two thoroughly. Con- 
 sequently, in the end, you are disap- 
 pointed in your crop. In a field test made 
 last season, we obtained 1^ tons to the 
 acre when we tried to mix the fertilizer 
 by plowing. On the other hand, where 
 w^e mixed the fertilizer with a hoe, we 
 secured 8 tons to the acre. In both cases 
 the same amount to the acre was used 
 and at the same time. On ordinary soil, 
 I believe that 300 lbs. to the acre is suffi- 
 cient, but I think 500 lbs. is much better. 
 Should you use 500 lbs., I advise that you 
 put on 300 lbs. for the first application 
 
and in three weeks 200 lbs. more. Mix it 
 in the soil in the same way. On very 
 poor soil I would put a fork of well-rotted 
 manure in each hill, then 3" of soil on top 
 of the manure. In four weeks I would 
 fertilize the same as above. 
 
 Cultivating 
 
 As soon as possible after the plants 
 have been set in the field, they should be 
 cultivated. This will loosen up the soil 
 where it has been packed down during 
 the work of transplantation and will start 
 the young- plants into growth. The first 
 cultivation may be rather deep and close 
 to the plants, the shovels being' set to 
 throw the dirt slightly toward them. The 
 succeeding- cultivations from seven to ten 
 days apart should be shallow and farther 
 away, the aim being to form a dust mulch 
 to prevent evaporation as well as to keep 
 down weeds. 
 
 If the weather is very dry, a small har- 
 row is a good implement. Keep the soil 
 well stirred, so that it will hold the moist- 
 ure and not prune the roots. If the land 
 is wet, care should 1)6 taken to have all in- 
 
dentations between the hills smooth and 
 level. If the weather is Avet and cold, do 
 as little work to the plant as possible un- 
 til the soil gets dry enough to stir. 
 
 The cukivation itself of this crop is 
 neglected more, on the whole, than any 
 other operation connected with raising it. 
 Perhaps this can be accounted for by the 
 fact that the farmer is very busy with his 
 other crops at this season of the year and 
 hence leaves the tomato to shift for itself. 
 The neglect of cultivation proves disas- 
 trous to the crop, as it allows weeds to 
 choke out the plants, and the ground to 
 become baked and hard, thus encouraging- 
 evaporation of the soil moisture and 
 greatlv decreasing the yield. 
 
 I wish to call }'our attention to the fol- 
 lowing- item, as you may at some future 
 time say that }'our tomatoes do not weigh 
 out well. The green tomato is light and 
 you lose on every one you pick. Packers 
 cannot use a green tomato for anything. 
 They want the ripe tomato. Remember 
 this in your picking. Neither can they 
 use a decayed tomato. Throw away any 
 one wnich may not be ripe and sound. 
 
 23 
 
The decaj-ed tomato is useful to the 
 farmer as a fertilizer. 
 
 When the first fruits are beginning to 
 set on the vine, cultivation is usually dis- 
 continued. If the plants are still small, 
 they may be cultivated once between each 
 row, care being taken not to shake the 
 vines, as this will cause the small fruit to 
 drop. Plants properly cared for will usu- 
 ally cover a considerable portion of the 
 ground when the fruits begin to form, 
 thus preventing evaporation to a great 
 extent. Throughout the remainder of the 
 season, two or three thorough hoeings 
 will generally be sufficient to keep the 
 weeds under control. 
 
 The tool commonly used in caring for 
 the crop is the two-horse corn cultivator. 
 If the soil is dry and soft, a drag made 
 out of the drive wheel of a mowing ma- 
 chine is a good implement. This will 
 throw soil enough to the plant to cover 
 the grass and weeds. 
 
 One of these, with several small teeth 
 to break the soil, should be selected in 
 preference to those having two large 
 
shovels, which leave the soil in ridges. 
 Level and shallow cultivation is prefer- 
 able to hilling or ridging. 
 
 Harvesting 
 
 The time of harvesting depends to a 
 great extent upon the earliness of trans- 
 planting and the weather conditions at 
 the time the first fruits are setting. Un- 
 der favorable conditions, the first picking 
 occurs from 70 to 80 days after the plants 
 are set in the field. This will bring the 
 beginning of the picking season from the 
 first of August to the first of September. 
 The vines usually continue to bear until 
 the first killing frost. 
 
 In picking tomatoes, handle them care- 
 fully. Pick only those that are ripe. Do 
 not injure the vine. If, by mistake, one 
 is taken too green, place it back on the 
 base of the vine to ripen until the next 
 picking. Pick all decayed tomatoes from 
 the vines at first and either throw them 
 away or feed them to hogs, cattle, or poul- 
 try, all of which are very fond of them. 
 There is usually more fault found with 
 reference to the tomato being picked too 
 
 25 
 
green than with any other phase of to- 
 mato growing-. 
 
 In some cases, at factories visited dur- 
 ing the canning season, from one-fifth to 
 one-third of the fruits in certain deliveries 
 had to be taken out on the sorting tables 
 because of their green condition. 
 
 Crates of tomatoes delivered to the can- 
 ning factory in a dripping condition are 
 unfit for use. 
 
 Pick at the proper time, pick carefully, 
 and handle carefully after picking, and 
 the crop will bring more money. 
 
 In removing the fruits, care should be 
 taken not to move the vines any more 
 than is positively necessary. Lifting and 
 pulling them al)out greatly reduces the 
 yields in many instances. The stems 
 lying" on the ground take root and carry 
 considerable nourishment to the ripening 
 fruit, and as it is the 3'ounger roots that 
 are of the most value to the plant, it is 
 very important that they be left intact. 
 Not only is this food supply cut short, 
 but many of those fruits alread}^ formed 
 are knocked ofif through rough handling 
 of the vines. 
 
 26 
 
Care must be taken in placing the to- 
 matoes in crates in order to avoid bruis- 
 ing them. These crates are easily handled 
 and keep the fruit from being crushed in 
 hauling. The canning companies usually 
 own the crates and either rent or loan 
 them to the growers. The crates have 
 aided considerably in the proper handling 
 of the crop. 
 
 Do not fill the crates too full when 
 loading on the wagon. Set them down 
 carefully. If they are slammed around 
 l)otli before and after the fruit is in the 
 crates, it is no wonder tlie latter comes to the 
 factory in bad condition. All tomatoes 
 should be taken to factory or station in a 
 wagon with springs. 
 
 Varieties 
 
 There are now a great many varieties 
 of tomatoes being ofifered. The variety 
 depends largely upon the use for which 
 the crop is intended. When growing for 
 shipping purposes, we have found the 
 Stone to be the very best. For the last 
 thirty-five years we have purchased the 
 Stone varietv from the Livingston Seed 
 
 27 
 
Company and have found it worthy of its 
 name, "True Blue." From a special ac- 
 count I find that this variety was discov- 
 ered two hundred and thirteen years ago, 
 1700. 
 
 We also think well of the. Landreth Red 
 Rock. As they are a little earlier variety 
 than the Stone, some people prefer them. 
 
 We have used the Landreth Red Rock 
 only three years, but we find our growers 
 so well pleased with the variety that they 
 are asking for its seed. It is as early as 
 the Favorite, is a good producer, and is a 
 smooth, solid tomato for shipping. 
 
 Insects and Diseases 
 
 At the present time the tomato in Indi- 
 ana is not troubled seriously by either in- 
 sects or diseases. In some localities, dur- 
 ing certain seasons, one or two growers 
 may be troubled to a considerable extent, 
 but at no one time has an entire district 
 been deprived of its crop, as often occurs 
 with some of our other cultivated crops. 
 
 Tomato Worm. — This is the large, 
 greenish worm, commonly called tobacco 
 worm, which lives upon the foliage. If 
 
 28 
 
the worms are present in large numbers 
 and are not controlled, they will soon ruin 
 the vines, as the amount consumed by 
 each, daily, is enormous. 
 
 They can be controlled by the use of 
 arsenical sprays, such as Paris green and 
 arsenate of lead, or by hand-picking. 
 
 Cut Worms. — There are numerous spe- 
 cies of these worms, which often destroy 
 the plants by eating them off close to the 
 ground just after transplantation. The 
 worms are about one and one-half inches 
 long, and vary in color from a greenish 
 to a dull grav. 
 
 They may be controlled, to a certain 
 extent, by having the ground plowed a 
 couple of weeks before transplanting, and 
 by scattering poisoned baits about the 
 field in the evening, care being taken to 
 keep all vegetation down in order to com- 
 pel the worms to eat the poison. The 
 baits are prepared by rolling up bunches 
 of clover, grass or bran and wetting them 
 with a solution of Paris green and water. 
 
 Potato Beetle. — The treatment for this 
 insect is the same as that given above for 
 the tomato worm. 
 
 29 
 
Stalk Borer. — In some seasons this has 
 proven quite destructive in certain locali- 
 ties. The borer enters the stalk and tun- 
 nels through it, causing the plant to sud- 
 denly wilt and die. Either the borer or 
 the tunnel it has made can be readily 
 found and the trouble ascertained. The 
 remedies for this pest are successfully 
 preventive, and consist in keeping all 
 weeds and foreign plants from the field 
 and in practicing a rotation of crops. 
 
 Point Rot. — This occurs at the blossom 
 end of the green fruit. It gradually 
 spreads until the fruit is entirely worth- 
 less. The disease seems to prefer dry 
 weather and light soils. At present there 
 are no successful means of controlling" it 
 under field conditions. Sub-irrigation is 
 said to have proven a successful remedy 
 on small areas. 
 
 Ripe Rot or Anthracnose. — While 
 ripening, the fruit is often attacked by 
 this disease, which causes it to decay rap- 
 idly. It is more prevalent in rainy sea- 
 sons, in some instances destroying the 
 fruit on entire fields in a few days. Pre- 
 ventive measures only can be made use 
 
 30 
 
of, such as destroying the diseased fruits 
 and planting far enough apart so that the 
 light and air can enter to dry out the 
 foliage. 
 
 Blight and Cause. — I find the cause to 
 be in taking the plants from the beds. In 
 doing this, the roots are injured, thus cut- 
 ting off all means of nourishing the plant, 
 which will soon wilt, the leaves curling 
 upward. Again, blight may be caused by 
 the using of new soil. Older soil, well 
 fertilized, combined with care in trans- 
 planting, the roots having been protected, 
 will greatly restrict the spreading of this 
 blight. 
 
 Leaf Spot Diseases. — There are several 
 fungi troubles which affect the leaves and 
 stem with a varying degree of severity. 
 These diseases are characterized by the 
 appearance of small, irregular brown 
 spots, which may spread until the leaf and 
 plant are killed. The one which is doing 
 the most damage is the leaf spot. This 
 disease usually appears first upon the 
 lower leaves and then spreads to the 
 leaves above. All the leaves may finally 
 be destroyed. If many of the latter are 
 
destroyed, the fruit will not ripen prop- 
 erly, nor will the vines mature the usual 
 number of tomatoes. 
 
 The first step is the destruction of the 
 fungus. In many cases it is found in the 
 soil of old beds. If this soil is to be used, 
 use air-slaked lime for a top dressing be- 
 fore sowing the seed; mix this lime 
 through the soil seeing that it is thor- 
 oughly incorporated. When the plants 
 are ^2" in height, spray them with Bor- 
 deaux Formula : 4 lbs. lime, 4 lbs. copper 
 sulphate and 50 gals, water. Spray the 
 plants once or twice a week, using but a 
 light spray. This will give you a healthy 
 plant. Fresh lime around your plant after 
 it is set in the field is a good remedy for 
 any disease. 
 
 I lind a great many of the Tomato 
 Growers lose their crops on account of 
 excess moisture, the roots gathering more 
 moisture than can be transpired through 
 the leaves. This will cause the leaves to 
 curl and the bloom to drop oft". A remedy 
 for this is to cultivate deeply and as close 
 to the plant as possible without injuring 
 the roots. Follow this process by using a 
 
large single-shovel plow, not less than 
 20" wide at the top and 10" long. This 
 will throw the soil around the plant, caus- 
 ing new roots to be put forth at once, 
 thereby saving your crop to a great ex- 
 tent. 
 
 In the absence of the single-shovel 
 plow, use a lioe and draw the soil around 
 the plant. A field that is once affected 
 with any fungus should not be set in to- 
 matoes for several seasons. It is best to 
 use fresh soil each year, destroying the 
 old vines at the close of the season, to 
 prevent the spreading of any disease that 
 might be in the soil. 
 
 Growers' Clubs 
 
 In order to interest the coming farmers 
 of today, I organized, this season, ten 
 boys' clubs, the boys ranging in age from 
 12 to 15 years. These boys contracted to 
 set out and tend one-half acre of toma- 
 toes, using the Landreth Red Rock vari- 
 ety of seed. They were to receive the 
 contract price for the tomatoes, and as an 
 inducement I awarded gold watches to 
 the boys having the greatest number of 
 
tons to their one-half acre. The highest 
 average received was seven and one-half 
 tons to the one-half acre, which, consider- 
 ing the age of the boys, was exceptionally 
 good. 
 
 Growers are at all times willing to ex- 
 change their plans of raising crops with 
 other Growers. I find that the organizing 
 of Growers' Clubs and the arranging for 
 monthly meetings, where all points per- 
 taining to tomato culture, as well as the 
 raising of other crops, can be taken up, is 
 to the advantage of the members. The 
 new growers will become more interested 
 in the work and better and more profit- 
 able results invariably obtained. 
 
 When Tomato Culture is better under- 
 stood there will be no more certain or 
 profitable crop that can be grown on the 
 farm. 
 
Grown by \V. A. Van Camp, Indianapolis, Ind. 
 
The Van Camp Extra Early 
 
 The seed for this tomato was sown un- 
 der glass in a hot bed on March 15, 1910. 
 It was transplanted twice, and each time 
 was placed in a hot bed under glass. The 
 plant was set in the open ground on the 
 17th of April and was protected from the 
 cold by a covering or a box with a glass 
 top. A liquid fertilizer was used twice, 
 equal to 500 lbs. of Dust Fertilizer to the 
 acre. The cultivation was done with a 
 small hoe, the side of the hoe being used 
 to scrape the top of the soil. In order to 
 give the roots their own free growth, the 
 ground was never loosened around the 
 plant. On the 27th of July 23 ripe toma- 
 toes were picked from the plant and to- 
 matoes continue to be picked from it dur- 
 ing the entire season. You can see sev- 
 eral tomatoes still clinging to this vine, 
 which was dug up the last week of Oc- 
 tober. 
 
LANDRETHS' RED ROCK 
 TOMATO 
 
 BIG PROFITS are assured by planting this 
 celebrated sort 
 
 Send for LANDRETHS' CANNERS' PRICE 
 LIST on all Seeds and Testimonials 
 
 D. Landreth Seed Company 
 
 Oldest Seed Establishment in America 
 
 ED 
 1784 
 
 FOUNDED Bristol, Pa. 
 
■"-•'•■ir-i. ' " 
 
E. Rauh CEb Sons Fertilizer Co. 
 
 MANUFACTURERS OF 
 
 HIGH GRADE COMMERCIAL 
 FERTILIZERS 
 
 Union Stock Yards Indianapolis, Ind. 
 
 We desire to call your attention to our 
 Special Tomato Fertilizer which is the best 
 formula used for raising tomatoes. It has been 
 tested out for a period of thirty years and 
 always has given the very best of results. It 
 is well balanced, and carries plant food elements 
 in a highly available form. 
 
 We shall be pleased to have you call on 
 us or correspond with us, knowing it will be 
 to our mutual benefit. 
 
 E. Rauh CSJ, Sons Fertilizer Co. 
 
van 27 19S3 
 
 One Great Advantage 
 
 That a Transplanter has over hand 
 setting is that water can be used, 
 cheaply and easily, to aid the plants 
 in becoming established. 
 
 To make this feature effective, the 
 WATER VALVE must work 
 promptly and continously. This 
 valve in the J. I. Case W^ILL work 
 and work BETTER than any we 
 know^. 
 
 A Transplanter is a money-maker 
 and a money-saver. It's good bus- 
 iness to buy one. 
 
 See the nearest case agent or write directly to 
 
 J. I. CASE PLOW WORKS 
 
 Indianapolis, Indiana : - ; Racine, Wisconsin 
 
Il 
 
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