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UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
Agricultural Experiment Station.
URBANA, NOVEMBER, 1902.
BULLETIN NO. SI.
FORCING TOMATOES.
BY ALVIN C. BEAL, B. S., ASSISTANT IN FLORICULTURE.
The rapidly growing1 cities of Illinois offer an increasing- mar-
ket for forced vegetables. The demand for forced tomatoes in most
of our large cities, begins as soon as the frost has destroyed the
out-door crop and lasts until February when the Florida crop usu-
ally appears in the market. To supply the market during- this period
the grower must have a light, tightly constructed house in which
a high temperature can be maintained in the coldest weather.
Considerable skill is necessary for the successful management of
the crop owing- to the peculiar difficulties in growing- tomatoes
at this season of the year. The tomato is a sun loving- plant and
during- the short days with periods of cloudiness it is sometimes a
problem to obtain a g-ood setting- of fruit.
From the above reasons it will be seen why tomatoes must
bring- from twenty to fifty cents a pound in order to pay a profit to
the grower. If tomatoes can be profitably grown at the lower fig-
ure given they can be sold in any city that supports a florist busi-
ness. Few people can resist the temptation to purchase fruit or
vegetables that are in the market out of season. If these prove to
5°3
504 BULLETIN NO. 8i. [November,
be as palatable as the naturally ripened product the demand in-
creases even at what at first would seem to be an exorbitant price.
Fortunately the demand for forced tomatoes does not cease
upon the appearance of the Southern product in the market. The
forced tomato is far superior to the shipped tomato both in ap-
pearance and quality, it being- necessary for the latter to be picked
green and ripened in transit. Therefore the home product sells
for a higher price. As the weather becomes warmer the price de-
creases and the demand increases. The grower is able to meet the
decreasing- price because less and less artificial heat is needed to
ripen the crop. Many times otherwise idle houses can be used for
the spring- crop.
The expense of caring- for tomato plants, while small, is light,
as they are then in pots and require little room. After trans-
planting- into the benches the aim should be to g-et fruit as soon as
possible as the plants are occupying- valuable space. If the plants
have not been properly checked before transplanting- into rich soil
they make a splendid growth, sometimes producing little fruit,
but usually the crop is simply delayed. Many growers secure no
return for ninety or a hundred days after benching their plants,
when half that time is all that is necessary. The expense of
heating the house for the extra time is quite an item for the grow-
er's consideration.
Tomatoes may be planted among carnations in the spring and
when the Easter rush is over given the entire space with a thorough
dressing of fertilizer. Tomatoes for the spring crop are grown
after lettuce, radishes and similar crops. As little heat is required,
such houses, if of sufficient height to train plants, are well suited
to the purpose.
THE HOUSE.
In order to study the growing of tomatoes under glass one of
the new greenhouses erected by the College of Agriculture was de-
voted to the purpose.
The house is of even span, twenty by thirty-five feet in size,
and stands with the length east and west. There are continuous
lines of sash ventilators along the south side and on each side of
the ridge, containing 16 by 36 inch glass. The sash in the north
side are the same size but are stationary, and form a part of the
partition wall. The glass in the roof is 16 by 26 inches, lapped up-
on ordinary sash bars. Owing to the height of the inside walls
the ridge is thirteen feet above the walk, allowing much head
room. On the center bench a uniform height of eight feet is to be
IQ02.] FORCING TOMATOES. 505
had, while on the side benches four and a half feet is all that can
be had for the back row of plants.
There is a door in the center of the west end which opens into
the Palm House, a structure much taller than the tomato house from
which it cuts off considerable afternoon sunlight, particularly from
the west end of the north bench. A comparison of the yields of the
plants on the center bench shows a decrease from the east to the
west end, due to this cause. The plants were in every respect
equal in size. The east end of the house opens into a house of
similiar size and construction used for growing- cool vegetables.
The house was exposed therefore on the south side only.
The house is heated with steam which is carried the length of
the house overhead in a three inch pipe and returned under the side
benches only in twenty one-and-one-quarter inch pipes. These
were arranged the first year in coils of five pipes each. This ar-
rangement did not admit of absolute control, but a uniform pres-
sure of five pounds was maintained. The steam is furnished by
the Central Heating Station of the University and for this reason
no data on the amount of fuel or cost of heating can be furnished.
METHOD OF HANDLING.
t
Seed of Combination and Yellow Prince varieties were sown
in flats of moderately rich soil October 23, 1900. A fibrous potting
soil made of rotted sod and a little sand gives excellent results. As
soon as the plants were large enough to handle they were potted in
two and a half inch pots. About December 1st they were shifted in-
to three and a half inch pots where they remained until January 9th,
1901, when they were benched. At the time of planting they
were all showing open blossoms and were very much pot-bound.
The open blossoms set fruit and the plants continued to blossom
at every third or fourth joint. Unchecked plants come into bear-
ing later as it takes time to fill the soil with roots and thereby
check the excessive growth. On such plants the first fruit ap-
pears high up on the plant when it should be near the ground
with a continuous succession of clusters up the stem.
SOIL.
The soil for the benches was made of one-half rich garden loam
and one-half rotted compost which had been derived from the rot-
ting of manure, straw, corn stalks, etc., until they had entirely lost
their fibrous character.
The compost made the mixture light in texture and very rich
in composition. Water passed through it readily and it remained
BULLETIN NO. 8l.
[November,
FIG. i. TOMATO PLANT READY FOR TRANSPLANTING TO THE BENCH.
IQ02.]
FORCING TOMATOES.
SO/
&2,
Q .*•
'•t
n
'fj
.Q
•t
*
,0-.
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Cod l^^tculL No^SZ,
PLATE I. DIAG RAM OF TOMATO HOUSE, igoi.
508 BULLETIN NO. 8i. [November,
loose and open throughout the experiment. Tomatoes do best in a
very rich mellow soil and if properly managed will fruit abundantly
under glass. There is a prevalent idea that tomatoes under glass
require a comparatively poor soil. This is probably due to the
fact that the plants are usually not checked before planting-, and
therefore in a poor soil they sooner exhaust the readily available
plant food. Where such a compost as the one described cannot be
obtained, a mixture of rich garden loam with one-fourth well rotted
manure will furnish suitable soil for this crop.
FERTILIZERS.
Two applications of wood ashes were made after the plants
were in full bearing-. The ashes were applied at the rate of twenty
pounds per hundred square feet of bench. Aside from this, no fer-
tilizers were given as the soil appeared to afford all the plant food
necessary.
PLANTING.
The benches are six inches deep and were filled with the soil.
The north side bench is forty inches wide and thirty-six feet long,
extending from the east end of the house around to the west door.
Two rows, eighteen inches apart were placed on this bench, the
plants being two feet apart in the row. This placed the back row
one foot from the rear of the bench and the plants were alternated
with those in the front row so that the former had as favorable
light as possible. Thirty-one plants of the Combination were
planted on this bench.
The center bench contained fifty-two plants of the Combination,
planted in four rows twenty inches apart, running lengthwise, the
plants being twenty-four inches apart in the row.
A portion ( sixty square feet ) of the south bench was planted
to Yellow Prince. The west end of the bench was used and the
plants were the same distance apart as those on the north bench.
They received more light than the plants on the north bench, a
point to be kept in mind in comparing yields.
Only fifteen plants were used, as yellow tomatoes are not in
much demand at any season of the year. The variety represents
the stocky, large-leaved type of tomatoes, however, and the results
indicate something of the adaptability of this type to house conditions.
TEMPERATURE.
The temperature was kept as near 70 degrees at night as pos-
sible. On cloudy days it was kept at from 75 degrees to 80 degrees,
and on sunny days as high as 90 degrees was reached. Fresh air
was given when the temperature went above 80 degrees but care was
exercised to avoid draughts of cold air.
IQO2.] FORCING TOMATOES. 509
WATERING.
During- dark weather great care must be given to the watering1.
If this operation is carelessly done the under soil remains dry, while
if the soil is drenched the plants may be troubled with dropsy or
oedema, a physiological disease. A dry atmosphere is the best for
tomatoes and the plants should never be syringed unless troubled
with red spider, for a damp atmosphere promotes rot and inter-
feres with pollination.
TRAINING.
Each plant was trained to a single stem. As a support for
the plants, binder twine was used. A single strand was run from
the base of each plant to a point on the sash bar as near overhead
as possible, where it was tied to a nail, while the lower end, to pre-
vent accidents, was tied into a loop of wire which passed through
the soil and the crack in the bottom of the bench, where it was
made fast. This furnished a neat and secure support. The plants
were tied to it with raffia at intervals of about a foot. Sometimes
the plants are simply twined about the string's, but in this method
the plants often slip down under their load of fruit. When down,
the plants are more likely to be broken when picking- the fruit, and
certainly they do not look so well as when they are properly tied
up. The system of training- used affords the plant all the lig-ht
and air possible. The fruits set evenly and the crop is easily gath-
ered. To admit more lig"ht the larger leaves were clipped back one-
half their length. All side shoots were pinched out as they appeared.
When the plants on the north side bench reached a height of
five feet and those on the center bench eight feet the leaders were
pinched. The Yellow Prince did not grow five feet in height.
Soon after the fruits of a cluster had set the cluster was sup-
ported by slings of raffia carried over the axil of a leaf above it.
If this is not done the cluster drops down from its own weight pre-
venting the full development of the fruit.
Again it will be found in vigorously growing plants that the
fruit clusters have a tendency to " break " or push out a shoot from
the end. All such shoots should be quickly removed if good fruit
is desired, as the fruits of clusters on which these shoots are al-
lowed to grow are more likely to be irregular and are smaller than
those upon clusters from which the shoots are clipped.
POLLINATION.
Tomatoes require a warm, dry atmosphere: — first, to avoid rot,
which is worse in a damp, close atmosphere ; second, to facilitate
pollination. On bright, sunny days the pollen is shed freely dur-
ing the middle of the day if the above conditions are observed. In
5io
BULLETIN NO. 8l.
[ November,
FIG. 2. TOMATO PLANT SHOWING THE AMOUNT OF LEAF PRUNING.
FORCING TOMATOES.
5"
FIG. 3. VIEW OF THE TOMATO HOUSE FIFTY DAYS FROM PLANTING.
512 BULLETIN NO. 8i. [ATovember,
the short days of midwinter when the wind or other agencies can-
not act in the houses it is necessary to pollinate by hand in order
to secure success. The plants under consideration were pollinated
every other day when the pollen could be secured. In cloudy
periods the flowers open and remain open longer than if pollinated,
but after a time they drop off if pollination has not occured. One
whole setting of tomatoes was lost just before Easter, 1901, be-
cause no pollen would ripen. In pollinating the tomatoes a tea-
spoon was used to collect the pollen obtained by tapping the flow-
ers with a lead pencil or similar instrument. It is a simple opera-
tion to touch the stigmas in passing from flower to flower. Af-
ter a little practice one becomes expert and also can determine at a
glance those flowers which will yield pollen and which are ready
for pollination.
Experiments by Professor Munson* show that insufficient pol-
len produces small, or one sided fruit. Where he applied an ex-
cess of pollen he secured large, symmetrical fruits. Here we find
an explanation for most of the small and perhaps all of the one-
sided fruits seen among greenhouse tomatoes. We therefore be-
lieve that hand pollination will give a greater per cent, of normal-
ly developed fruits than any other method.
When the weather has become warm enough for the bees to
fly about and it becomes necessary to give full ventilation it is not
necessary to continue hand pollination for the natural agencies per-
form the operation.
INSECTS.
The only insect that has given us any trouble has been the
" white fly " ( Aleyrodes Vaporariorum ) which appeared in May.
The general recommendation has been to fumigate with tobacco
smoke, but we found that the insect gained a foot hold in spite of
a thorough weekly fumigation as strong as the plants would bear.
Also it was found that if the house was fumigated oftener the
blossoms were injured to such an extent as to reduce the yield.
The insects certainly die hard under such fumigation, as it does
not affect the adults further than to bring them down until the
smoke clears away.
Red spider was found on one plant, but by picking off two or
three leaves and syringing this particular plant no further trouble
was caused by this pest, and it never appeared on the tomatoes
afterwards, although peppers in the same house had to be constantly
watched. With a clean house and clean stock no trouble ought to
occur from this pest in the growing of tomatoes.
*Annual Report of the Maine Experiment Station for 1892, Part II.
1002.]
FORCING TOMATOES.
513
DISEASES.
The plants, with one possible exception, were entirely free
from disease. Plant number one of the center bench did not do
well for a time from some cause thought to be physiological, but
later it recovered and bore some good fruit.
YIELDS.
The number of ripe fruits from each plant and the total
weight of the pickings from each bench for each day were
recorded. The first ripe fruit was gathered from the Yellow Prince
February 25th, and from the Combination on the center bench Febru-
ary 28th. The north bench gave no fruit until March 2d. Thus fruit
was secured in seven weeks from benching or in 128 days from seed.
YIELDS ON NORTH BENCH. — NUMBER OF FRUITS.
No. Feb.
March
April
May
June Total
i
i
10
4
15
2
3
13
5
21
3
4
ii
i
16
4
5
14
5
24
5
4
9
4
17
6
6
ii
5
22
7 .
6
6
3
15
8
2
10
3
15
9
6
5
o
II
10
5
7
6
18
ii
8
6
7
21
12
3
8
4
15
13
6
9
5
20
14
6
12
2
20
15
8
8
O
16
16
6
12
3
21
17
9
4
4
17
18
5
6
3
H
19
6
7
4
17
20
5
5
4
14
21
3
4
4
II
22
6
7
2
15
23
3
6
O
9
24
5
10
2
17
25
ii
7
2
20
26
i
4
O
5
27
5
5
O
10
28
6
4
10
20
29
4
7
c
16
30
5
4
8
17
31
4
7
ii
22
Total No.
I58
238
116
5"
Total Weight
37 Ib. 8 oz.
65 Ib. 10 oz.
27 Ib.
130 Ib. 2 oz.
130 Ib. 2 oz. — 2082 oz.
2082 oz. H- 31 = 67^- oz. = 4 Ib. 3 oz. average per plant.
2082 oz. -5- 120 = 17$ oz. per square foot of bench.
511 fruits -5- 31 =. i6Jf average number of fruits per plant.
2082 oz. -i- 511 = 4^fV oz. average weight of each fruit.
BULLETIN NO. 8l.
[ November,
YIELDS ON CENTER BENCH. — NUMRER OF FRUITS.
Plant
No.
Feb. March
April
May
June
Total
i
3
4
2
4
13
2
3
9
9
5
26
3
ii
14
16
44
4
6
9
4
17
36
I
6
4
ii
10
8
5
g
29
I
ii
IO
8
9
6
29
40
9
4
15
7
4
31
10
3
14
14
6
38
ii
3
10
IO
5
29
12
6
6
13
8
33
13
i 6
7
9
12
5
5
3
15
4
8
14
7
33
16
7
8
II
8
34
17
7
9
6
9
18
5
9
ii
8
33
19
5
12
ii
ii
39
20
2
II
12
9
34
21
2 2
14
IO
9
37
22
I 2
II
6
14
34
23
9
12
5
16
42
24
i 5
10
8
37
25
1 i
8
6
5
23
26
6
ii
8
5
30
27
5
8
9
4
26
28
5
14
ii
2
32
29
6
ii
IO
II
38
3°
5
ii
i
7
24
7
12
6
5
30
32
i 5
12
9
9
36
33
i 5
13
IO
7
36
34
6
7
6
8
27
35
i 5
10
22
8
46
36
i 5
9
7
6
28
5
9
ii
3
28
38
6
5
7
IO
28
39
7
6
16
4
33
40
7
7
10
9
33
41
6
ii
8
I
26
42
3
8
9
5
25
43
6
ii
12
6
35
44
8
8
7
4
27
45
46
7
5
ii
IO
I
3
5
24
28
47
6
4
6
5
21
48
3
13
16
6
38
49
8
9
6
4
27
50
5
9
6
i
21
5
8
8
8
29
52
5
5
7
2
19
Total No. 15 266 507 469 361 1618
Total Wt. 3 Ib. }4 oz. 58 Ib. 2 oz. 128 Ibs. 119 Ib. 13 %. oz. 106 Ib. X oz. 415 Ibs.
415 Ib. -\- 5 Ib. of which no plant record was kept gives a yield of 420 Ibs.
420 Ib. -4- 52 = 8 Ib. average per plant.
420 Ib. -s- 174 = 2ff Ib. per square foot.
415 Ib. X 16 -*- 1618 = 45% oz. average weight per fruit.
1618 fruits -5- 52 = 31 fruits per plant.
1902.] FORCING TOMATOES. $15
YIELDS OF YELLOW PRINCE ON SOUTH BENCH.
No.
Plant Feb.
March
April
May
June
Total
i
5
4
6
i
16
2
4
2
i
7
3
6
2
i
9
4
6
I
5
ii
23
5
4
4
2
6
16
6
6
4
5
i
16
7
i
8
7
6
22
8
2
8
4
i
15
9
5
7
i
i
14
10 I
3
3
o
9
16
II
5
7
3
4
19
12
2
8
4
6
20
13 I
I
2
3
3
10
14
9
8
0
5
22
15
3
6
6
i
16
Total No. 2
62
74
48
55
241
Weight 6>£ oz.
155^ oz.
214 oz.
178^ oz.
130^ oz.
685 X oz.
685^ oz. -=- 16 = 42 Ib. 13^ oz.
685 oz. -f- 15 = 45% oz. average yield per plant.
685 oz. -r- 60 = i if^ oz. per square foot of bench.
685 oz. -s- 241 = T.\\\ oz. average weight of each fruit.
241 fruits -5- 15 = i6fk average number of fruits per plant.
It will be seen that the average size of the fruits and the yield
were no greater upon the plants with bottom heat than upon those
without it. However the difference in amount of light may have
overcome any possible effect of bottom heat. The difference in
average weight of the fruits for the month of March was about
one quarter ounce while the average number of fruits per plant
was the same. One is led to believe from this that there was no
practical benefit from the bottom heat. The average weight of the
fruits on Combination during March was three and one-half ounces
but with the increasing sunshine of spring the average rose to
over four ounces. The average weight of the fruits of Yellow Prince
for the season was less than three ounces compared with an aver-
age of over four ounces for Combination.
The average yield per plant of Yellow Prince up to May 17th,
was thirty ounces compared with sixty- seven ounces upon Combi-
nation plants of the north bench, and the yield to July 1st was forty-
five ounces against one hundred and twenty-nine ounces on the
plants of the center bench. The yield for this yellow variety was
only about one-third as much as for the Combination for the whole
season, although the plants had plenty of head room and were
treated in every way similar to the Combination. In addition to
the inferior average size and yield the fruits were more uneven in
size, many weighing less than two ounces each. There was no
516 BULLETIN NO. 81. [November,
demand for them in the market here, and it is doubtful if they are
worth growing- at all unless it be a few plants for the sake of
variety.
WINTER CROP, 1902.
It was determined last year to test the leading forcing kinds
side by side in order to fully compare them as to their adaptation
for the purpose of winter forcing. For this purpose seed was ob-
tained from a leading seedsman.
The seed was sown August 20th in flats of rich fibrous soil.
The little plants were transplanted as soon as large enough to
handle, into two and a half inch pots, and October 7th shifted
into three and a half inch pots.
The soil on the center bench was in good condition and as
the house was new and the previous crop was entirely free from dis-
ease, it was partially removed and the bench filled with more rotted
compost and the whole thoroughly mixed.
The plants, which were then showing bloom and young fruit,
were planted out on the center bench November 7th at the same
distance apart as those of the previous year. Two rows of each
variety were planted, beginning at the east end, in the following
order : Combination, Lorillard, Best of All, and Eclipse. Then
one row of each variety in the same order, the thirteenth row being
planted to Combination. This gave three rows of each variety ex-
cept Combination, of which there were four, distributed so as to
overcome any differences in light or other conditions.
The heating pipes were changed so that the temperature could
be kept more uniform in very changeable weather. So far as
methods of training, watering, pollination, etc., were concerned,
the crop was treated as far as possible exactly like the previous
one.
In January, plant No. 14, a Lorillard, became infected with
dropsy and though the plant grew and blossomed no fruit was
picked from it. In calculating the average for the two rows of
Lorillard in which this plant occured, only the seven healthy plants
were considered.
YIELD OF THE WINTER CROP.
A record was kept of the number and weight of the fruits
picked from each plant. The first fruit was picked December
24th from the first three varieties named above. The Eclipse gave
its first ripe fruit December 28th. The plants continued in bearing
until April 9th when they were removed from the house to make
room for the spring crop.
I902.J
FORCING TOMATOES.
517
Si8
BULLETIN NO. 8l.
MONTHLY SUMMARY OF THE YIELDS.
[November,
Variety.
No. of plants.
December
January
February
March
Apr.l to 9
Total
No. of fruil
Weight of f
ounces
2!
o
o
Hh
Hh
-t
Weight of f
ounces
No. of fruit
Weight of f
ounces
p
o
Hh
Hh
Weight of f
ounces
p
o
Hh
Hh
HI
Weight of f
ounces
p
s,
•n
— , -.
£
%
c
%
lb.
oz.
!?
\ %
£
Combination
8
7
8
8
4
4
4
4
4
11
9
14
11
1
1
2
2
1
25 «
25%
2
3
4
11
23
20
19
9
17
12
11
9
32K
63^
57 v,
47
27
44^
39
29 %
57
54
63
51
33
28
36
35
42
180
202%
158^
115'X
96J|
127^
106%
130
70
51
66
97
36
45
47
44
38
243
118%
224%
344
115%
148%
151
148 %
26
16
36
32
4
7
5
10
6
75
64
112^
13%
20%
40K
17%
175
153
199
210
83
98
102
102
34
31
39
42
17
19
21
20
18
244
2%
2 2
9
Lorillard
Best of All
Eclipse.
Combination
Best of All
Eclipse
Combination
Total
51
52
121 %
131
362^
399
1289%
494 1673X
142
472^
1218
15
244 lb. H- 51 = 4f lb. per plant.
244 lb. H- 174 = iff lb. per square foot of bench.
1218 frurts -s- 51 = 23& fruits per plant.
3919 oz: -s- 1218 = 3iWs oz. average weight of fruits.
TOTAL YIELD OF EACH VARIETY IN OUNCES.
Variety.
No. of
plants.
Dec
Jan.
Feb.
March
April
Total
Combination. . . .
Lorillard
16
ii
30
26
81
108
425 #
269
478 X
^27
106 y2
84.
1 122
8l§
Best of All
Eclipse
12
12
35
29
96
76
330
265
375
402
128
152
966
1015 l/2
The average yield per plant of the different varieties is as fol-
lows : Combination, four pounds, six ounces; Lorillard, four
pounds, ten ounces ; Best of All, five pounds ; Eclipse, five pounds,
four ounces.
Best of All proved to be the best variety during- the short and
dull days of December, January and February. The yields of the
different varieties for this period were :
Total weight.
Average per plant.
Av'ge. wt. of fruits
Best of All
461 oz
•}8 oz
3 oz. -|-
Lorillard
403 oz
^4 oz
3 oz.
Combination.. . .
Eclipse >
381 oz
370 oz
32 oz
31 oz
3 oz- +
3 oz.
Best of All was the earliest of the four varieties as is shown
by the yields for December. When the days grew longer and bright-
er Eclipse forged rapidly to the front in yield.
As already stated, fruits do not set during long periods of
cloudy weather because the pollen does not mature . From December
21 to 31, 1901, there was a period of cloudiness without a single
1902.]
FORCING TOMATOES.
519
FIG. 5. TOMATOES IN FULL BEARING, FEBRUARY 10, 1902.
520
BULLETIN NO. 8l.
[ November,
hour of sunshine. An examination made January 3, 1902, disclosed
the following- :
Variety.
No. of plants.
No. of clusters.
Clusters failed
to set fruit.
Lorillard
ii
78
o
Best of All
12
83
ii
Combination ....
Eclipse
12
12
78
73
13
15 .
Since a cluster will mature from three to five fruits, and four
or five fruits weigh a pound, it will be seen how important is the
matter of selecting varieties. These figures also emphasize the
importance of hand pollination whenever the sun does shine for
a few hours, in order that the per cent, of fruits may be increased.
SPRING CROP, 1902.
Seed of the four varieties tested in the last experiment together
with Stone and Roselind were sown Dec. 26, 1901, for growing as
a spring crop. The plants were potted in two and a half inch pots,
January 20th, and shifted into three and one half inch pots, Febru-
ary 24th.
The south and north benches were prepared and planted March
25th. The remainder of the plants were shifted into four and a half
inch pots and planted on the center bench April 10th. There were
two rows on the south bench with the plants two feet apart in the
row. On the north bench a single row was planted with the plants
thirty inches apart. The centre bench was planted in the same
manner as in the former experiments.
1902.]
FORCING TOMATOES.
521
PLATE 2. DIAGRAM OF TOMATO HOUSE, MAY, 1902.
522
BULLETIN NO. 8l.
[November,
The following- diagram will show the distribution of the dif-
ferent varieties:
YIELDS OF PLANTS ON SOVTM BENCH.
Number.
Yield, ounces.
Average per plant.
Combination.
I
4
U
15
24
64 #
60 #
52 #
55
55
57 #
Lorillard.
7
8
17
63 3X
74 #
50 %
62 +
Best of All.
5
10
i3
20
25
66 #
77 #
&M
56
64 rf
Eclipse.
6
21
92
69 #
62 #
. 62 K
7i
Stone.
2
II
16
23
61
72 X
50 #
69 %
63
Roselind.
3
12
19
22
63
72 #
co #
63 #
65
The varieties on the center bench were ripening- June 1st. The
average yields per plant were as follows : Combination 48 ounces ;
L/orillard. 48 ounces ; Best of All, 54 ounces ; Eclipse, 55 ounces.
The average yield per square foot for the two crops was 2 f|
pounds. The total yield of the two crops was 410 pounds, 11
ounces.
AVERAGE YIELDS PER PLANT— BOTH CROPS.
Variety.
Winter crop.
Spring crop.
Total.
Lb.
Oz.
Lb.
Oz.
Lb.
Oz.
Eclipse
5
5
4
4
4
10
6
3
3
3
3
I
8
8
7
7
ii
6
10
6
Best of All
Lorillard.
Combination . . .
The white fly {Aleyrodes Vaporarioruni} appeared in the
spring-, but Nicotocide proved successful ag-ainst the pest when
used according- to directions.
FORCING TOMATOES. $23
YIELD OF PLANTS TRAINED TO THREE STEMS.
The yields of the plants grown to three stems, on the north
bench, were as follows:
1 Combination ii?K ounces.
2 Stone 141
3 Eclipse 113!^
4 Best of All 73^
5 Combination 125^
6 Lorillard 112
7 Best of All 89^
8 Eclipse 119
9 Lorillard $91A
10 Roselind 72
The yield per square foot was ^f pounds as compared withl/T
pounds per square foot on the south bench planted on the same
day but trained to single stems.
MARKET.
Some may have the idea that there is no market for such pro-
ducts as forced tomatoes outside the great cities. Before we be-
gan growing tomatoes there were no forced products on the mar-
ket here in the two towns, Urbana and Champaign, with 15,000
people. The first tomatoes to appear were from Louisiana and
Texas and they were not brought in until twenty cents a pound
would give a profit. So we sold our first tomatoes in March 1901,
for that price and found a ready market for all we could supply.
The next winter we set the price at thirty cents a pound during
January and February, reducing it to 20 cents on March 1st, with
greater demand than the season before. The results here have led
us to believe firmly that in many other cities of the state there
would be a market for forced tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, etc., if
it were only worked up.
Whether it will pay to grow tomatoes in midwinter at the
prices named is a question of locality and the man. In the spring
we know that we can compete with profit in the market for toma-
toes because of certain advantages. The advantages possessed by
the grower of forced tomatoes are a safer climate because it is un-
der control, a better soil, a better market near at hand where a
fresher, choicer product can be furnished and where the market
can be carefully watched. It is possible to force or retard the
ripening of the fruit and consequently to supply extra demands for
special occasions. His dealings are generally with the consumer
direct, while those of the southern grower are with middlemen who
demand their share. Other disadvantages of the southern grower,
particularly in Florida, are erratic climate which cannot be con-
524 BULLETIN NO. 8i. [November, 1902.
trolled ; a poor soil with varying1 rainfall, a distant market necessi-
tating- long transit by rail or boat with the expense of transporta-
tion and danger of loss from cold, strikes, delays, etc. Even af-
ter his product reaches its destination it may strike a dull mar-
ket on account of unfavorable weather. His product must be
picked before it is mature in order to stand shipment and conse-
quently it loses in flavor. His product cannot compete with the
forced tomato for the best trade and the highest price.
SUMMARY.
By checking the plants it is possible to secure fruit in fifty
days from benching.
To secure fruit by Thanksgiving day the seed must be sown
by July 20th and the plants benched not later than October 1st.
Pollen is not discharged during cloudy weather and advantage
must be taken of short periods of sunshine to pollinate by hand.
Since the product is most valuable it will pay the grower to pol-
linate by hand regularly between December 1st and March 1st.
The advantages are a larger number of fruits set and larger, more
uniform fruits.
A careful selection of varieties for the midwinter crop is re-
quisite for the greatest success. Those varieties developed under
forcing house conditions like Best of All and Lorillard give the
best results.
Eclipse gave the largest yields both for the winter and spring-
crops of 1902. It is not quite so early as Best of All, but it pro-
duced the smoothest and most solid fruits.
The yield of Yellow Prince was decidedly inferior to that of
the Combination grown under similar conditions.
Plants trained to single stems g-ave a much greater yield per
square foot of bench than those trained to three stems, the yield
of the former being one and one-fifth pounds against four-fifths of
a pound for the latter.
The average yield for the season, 1901-'02, including both the
winter and spring crop, was from two to nearly two and one-half
pounds per square foot of bench, or from seven to almost nine
pounds per stem.
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