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Show I TOMATO CROP FOUND IDEAL Conditions Are Right for Production But Care Is Needed (T. H Abet, Assistant Horticulturist, U. A. C.) The tomato ns a crop for the Utah canning factories has come to stay. Markets have been developed for the goods, we have proper types of soil and climate for the best development of the plants and fruits, nnd t Ii profits prof-its to both grower and pucker have been piinii With suc'i a combination of conditions, the industry is bound to be successful. One condition which has helped the 'tomato industry in UUlh Is the fact that up to a recent dale the tomato grower has encountered comparatively few difficulties in the way of insect pests or diseases or other factors conducive con-ducive to crop failure. Within rec nr years, however, largely because of growing the same crop on the land year after year, certain diseases have" been Introduced thai are getting a strong foothold. This means that tho time is rapidly approaching, and Is even now upon us, when most careful care-ful methods will be necessary for the: production of a profitable crop In J some cases the care exercised by the! I grower will mean the difference be tween profit and total failure These failures can be averted if the grower is willing to maintain sanitary conditions condi-tions in his seed beds and fields, and take pains to raise good healthy plants that are more capable of with standing the onslaught of disease. INSPECTION TRIPS MADE. The writer has made some Interest ing trips through the tomato sections of the state. Many growers lnr been interviewed and many hot beds, cold-frames cold-frames and green houses inspected. Among the many types of structures and the many methods used, those which produce the healthiest, most vigorous plants by setting out time, gave the best yields in the fields. Whenever there were any indications indica-tions that the grower's watchfulness had slackened even for a short period, wherever the conditions were detrimental detri-mental to the best Health' of the plants, or wherever the plants wore made to grow weak and spindling, the best results were not obtained. After a careful 6tirvey of the situation situa-tion in Utah, it is quite evident that to produce the most profitable crops of tomatoes, the grower must give particular attention to about four phases of the work. They are Sant-i tation, properly prepared soil, good I seed and the production of large healthy plants. SANITATION MOST IMPORTANT All four phases are important, but ! the success of the last three are all i dependent upon the First sanitation In a few words, sanitation is the prevention pre-vention of the spread of disease fromi place to place upon the farm. It ma mean the abandonment of a certain field for tomato crow in .' for r. Mon or more; It may mean the securing of new soil for the hot bed; it t t, the careful disposal of an waste irri gatktn water from an infected I ield or! portion of a field; it maj mean a I spraying program Eventually our pathologists may discover preventive! spraying solution for some diseases I I but until that time the diseases must be avoided in other ways Most tomato growers probnbk give their polls the proper B tention, but we might profit by the experience or other states that have found a legu minous cover crop one ot the cs niln operations in preparation for tomatoes. toma-toes. FIRM TOMATO NEEDED The average grower realizes the importance im-portance of having a hied yielding, firm tomato and seed of high germina-tlve germina-tlve ability. After determining trhat variety is best for his locality, the gTower then should endeavor to secure the best strain of the variety The department of horticulture of the Utah Agricultural experiment station is conducting con-ducting some experiments along this line For the past two summers they have compared the yields of about 90 strains of tomatoes, finding wide differences dif-ferences in yield between the same varieties from different seed compan les In one instance a certain variety produced twenty-tv. o pounds of marketable mar-ketable fruit to the plant, while the samo variety from another seed house produced only twelve pounds to the ! Plant. A difference of ten pounds to the planrmean.s a difference of nearly three tons to the acre, an item on'e ban nardlj ai ford t ov riook PRODUCING HEALTHY PLANTS The fourth important phase the production of healthy, plants, should receive the careful attention of every gTower. Experience of men In this' state and others shows that it pavs to produce vigorous, hardy, large-rooted plants They cannot be produced if the plantH are crowded or if the ventilation is poor. The ideal plan-may plan-may require more care and more hoi bed space but it results in bigger 'crops. Some growers prefer one meth j od and others another. Various good 1 j methods have been developed in man-. ( sections. Methods, however, are sec-I sec-I ondary only to results. In our hot : j beds at the college some very excel-, lent plants have been produced by fol-! lowing approved methods, and. tho returns re-turns have more than justified the extra ex-tra care involved. To be most successful the tomato grower must pay special attention to tho details of his business |