In 1929 the Indiana Canner’s Association awarded the “Hoosier Tomato King” title to Asbury Holt. He had won the Indiana Ten-Ton Tomato Club contest by producing the highest yield in Indiana -a yield of 13.8 tons of tomatoes per acre. Mr. Holt was presented with a gold watch valued at $110.
Where was this remarkable plot whose tomatoes won Mr. Holt the prize and title? In the fertile soils of Tipton County like the 1928 winner? Perhaps in the rich fields of Hancock or Hendricks Counties where the 1927 winner and runner-up had farmed? No, Mr. Holt’s farm was in the hills and hollers of Martin County, Indiana.
In a previous blog, “Forest to Farm to Forest – Martin County, Indiana,” I described that in the 1930’s the U.S. Department of Agriculture labelled much of Martin County’s farmland as ‘sub-marginal.’ Rocky, eroded clay soil provided only a bare subsistence living for many of the farmers here.
But Asbury Holt had a plan, a long-term plan to turn his underproducing soil into something special.
“ Five years ago the four and one-half acre plot, which I used for tomatoes, was in corn, and the crop was so poor it was hardly worth harvesting. The following year the field was sown to alfalfa with oats as a nurse crop, and it has remained in alfalfa up until this spring. About two-thirds of it had an application of ten tons of manure per acres before the ground was plowed. Before planting we drilled in 350 pounds of 2-12-6 fertilizer per acre and then followed this heavy application with 350 pounds of acid phosphate per acre.”
The heavy fertilizing was followed by a lot of careful cultivation. His work paid off. When he began picking tomatoes in August he described the how thick the tomato vines were.
“It was a tedious task getting through the rank vines, and being unable to follow the rows, we had to set stakes so that we would be sure to cover all the ground.”
The 13.8 tons per acre were enough to win him a title, but it was still disappointing to Asbury. He complained that several hundred plants in lower ground had been drowned out, that some had been lost to sunburn or blight and then an early frost had nipped unripened fruit.
Tomatoes continue to be an important crop in Indiana. The state ranks third in U.S. production of tomatoes for processing. About 80% of Indiana tomatoes are canned as whole tomatoes, diced tomatoes, or salsa.
Connection: Asbury Holt was the first cousin 2x removed of my husband. Asbury’s grandfather was Asbury Sims, my husband’s 2nd great grandfather.
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