els of fruit, and many similar yields, and even greater ones, have
been recorded for single plants. The yield commonly obtained, even in
favorable locations, and by men who have grown tomatoes all their lives,
is more often less than 200 bushels to the acre than more. The way to
secure a better yield is to study carefully the nature and requirements
of the plants and the adaptation of our cultural practice to them.

=Life habit of the plant.=--The tomato could be described as a
short-lived perennial, but its span of life is somewhat variable. Under
favorable conditions it will develop from starting seed to first ripe
fruit in from 85 to 120 days of full sunshine with a constant day
temperature of from 75 to 90 deg. F., and with one from 15 to 20 deg. F. lower
at night. The plants will ordinarily continue in full fruit for about 50
to 60 days, after which they generally become so exhausted by excessive
production of fruit and the effects of diseases to which they are
usually subject that their root action and sap circulation become weaker
and weaker until they die from starvation. From Philadelphia southward
gardeners expect that spring set plants will thus exhaust themselves and
die by late summer, and they sow seed in late spring or early summer for
plants on which they depend for late summer and fall crops.

Under some conditions, particularly in the Gulf states and in
California, tomato plants will not only grow to a much greater size than
normal, but will continue to thrive and bear fruit for a longer time.
Such a plant grown in Pasadena, Cal., was said to have been in constant
bearing for over 10 months. Again, sometimes plants that have produced a
full crop of fruits will start new sets of roots and leaves and produce
a second and even a third crop, each, however, being produced on new
branches and as a result of a fresh set of roots, those which produced
the preceding crop having died and disappeared. The period of
development, 85 to 120 days of full sunshine at a temperature above 75 deg.
F., has been given. The full sunshine and high temperature are essential
to such rapid development, and in so far as there is a lack of sunshine
from clouds or shade, or the day temperature falls below 75 deg. F. the
period will be lengthened, so that in the greater part of the United
States the elapsed time between starting seed to ripened fruit is
usually as much as from 120 to 150 days and often even longer.

=Characteristi