Kathy Ralston age 11, of Utica, N.Y., for her question:
WHERE DID THE TOMATO COME FROM?
The tomato is a plant that bears a large, round, smooth fruit that is widely used for food. The plant was domesticated by the Indians of Central America. But it had spread to both North and South American long before Columbus arrived in the New World.
Seeds of the tomato were taken to Europe where the plant was raised for decoration. A superstition soon arose that the tomato stimulated love. Because of this, the tomato for many years was called the "love apple."
Early colonists brought the seeds to Virginia fromEurope and they grew tomatoes in their flower gardens. Thomas Jefferson was one of the first to eat tomatoes, but tomatoes were not a popular food until several years after the Civil War.
Today,probably no other garden product has so many uses as the tomato. The plant's fruit is one of the best sourcesof vitamins A and C. Tomatoes are used in salads and in many prepared foods.
The tomato is the leading crop among those cannedin the United States.It is also one of the most important market garden, truck farm and greenhouse food crops. Market garden tomatoes come from almost every state and are grown near most cities. California is the leading tomato producer, followed by Ontario, Canada.
Third leading tomato growing area is Florida followedin order, by Ohio, Indiana, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan,New York and Maryland.
Plant breeders have done much to improve the tomato and to add to its usefulness. It's yields have been doubled andvarieties with larger,smoother, more even shapes and meatier pulps have been developed.
Better methods of handling and canning the tomato have preserved its vitamins and improved the flavors of tomato soup and juice.
The tomato is not hard to grow. It is a warm season crop that is usually transplanted. Plants that are six to eight weeks old are taken from the greenhouses or hotbeds and transplanted toa field or garden about two weeks after the last frost of spring. Usually the plants are set about four feet apartin four foot rows.
In backyard gardens they may be set in 30 inch rows,18 inches apart and trained to grow on stakes or on trellises. This means that the secondary stems must be removed and the plant must usually be tied to the stake. Staking increases the yield on a given area of land but it also decreases the number of tomatoes per plant.
Slicing or table tomatoes are harvested while thefruit is still somewhat immature. Fruits to be shipped long distancesare picked just as they begin to turn pink. Cannery tomatoes andsoup tomatoes must not be picked until the fruits are fully ripe.
The tomato is attacked by several insects. Cut worms are among its worse enemies.