TOMATO CULTURE
A PRACTICAL TREATISE ON THE TOMATO, ITS HISTORY, CHARACTERISTICS, PLANTING, FERTILIZATION, CULTIVATION IN FIELD, GARDEN, AND GREENHOUSE, HARVESTING, PACKING, STORING, MARKETING, INSECT ENEMIES AND DISEASES, WITH METHODS OF CONTROL AND REMEDIES, ETC., ETC.
By
WILL W. TRACY
Bureau of Plant Industry, United States Department of Agriculture
ILLUSTRATED
NEW YORK
ORANGE JUDD COMPANY
1907
To
Dr. F. M. Hexamer
IN HONOR OF HIS LIFELONG EFFORTS FOR THE
BETTERMENT OF AMERICAN HORTICULTURAL
PRACTICE
Copyright, 1907, by
ORANGE JUDD COMPANY
All rights reserved
WHERE NEW VARIETIES OF TOMATOES ARE DEVELOPED AND TESTED
(By courtesy American Agriculturist. Photo by Prof. W. G. Johnson)
PREFACE
This little book has been written in fulfilment of a promise made manyyears ago. Again and again I have undertaken the work, only to lay itaside because I felt the need of greater experience and wider knowledge.I do not now feel that this deficiency has been by any means fullysupplied, but in some directions it has been removed through thekindness of Dr. F. H. Chittenden of the Bureau of Entomology, who wrotethe chapter on insect enemies, and of W. A. Orton of the Bureau of PlantIndustry, United States Department of Agriculture, who wrote the chapteron diseases of tomatoes.
I have made free use of, without special credit, and am largely indebtedto, the writings of Doctor Sturtevant and Professor Goff, ProfessorMunson of Maine, Professor Halsted of New Jersey, Professor Corbett ofWashington, Professor Rolfs of Florida, Professor Bailey of New York,Professor Green of Ohio, and many others. I have also found a vastamount of valuable information in the agricultural press of this countryin general. I am also indebted to L. B. Coulter and Prof. W. G. Johnson[Pg vi]for many photographs. My thanks are also due B. F. Williamson, who madethe excellent drawings for this book under Professor Johnson'sdirection.
Tomatoes are among the most generally used and popular vegetables. Theyare grown not only in gardens, but in large areas in every state fromMaine to California and Washington to Florida, and under very differentconditions of climate, soil and cultural facilities, as well as ofrequirements as to character of fruit. The methods which will give thebest results under one set of conditions are entirely unsu