The stock should be whole, sound, ripe tomatoes, preferably grown near the factory so that they may be delivered promptly after picking and with the minimum injury. They should be picked when in prime vine-ripened condition. Fruit picked when just turning and allowed to stand one or two days to color will not have the same rich flavor as when vine-ripened, but will stand rougher handling. Green fruit gives a weak color, and over-ripe fruit is prone to become injured and spoil in handling. The tomato should be through the process of manufacture within twenty-four hours from the time that it is taken from the vine. Repeated experiments have shown that rapid handling of fruits and vegetables gives the best results for canning, and the tomato is no exception to the rule when used for ketchup. The variety of tomato used is of importance. The tomato will vary in solids from less than 5.5 per cent to nearly 8.75 per cent; in soluble solids from less than 3.5 to nearly 6.5 per cent; in sugar from about 2.25 per cent to 4.25 per cent; and in acidity from .3 per cent to .6 per cent. The colors will vary from an almost creamy white to a very deep red with variations in yellow and purple. The only way to get uniformity in a product is to select one good variety and discard others. The preference is for a clear red smooth tomato of medium size, firm, and of fair acidity. While color may be only “skin deep” as far as being red, yellow, or purple is concerned, experience has shown that a clear red variety gives a better and more lasting color than yellow or purple. A medium sized smooth tomato is preferred because of less adherence of dirt, fewer cracks, and generally more even ripening to the stem. A fairly acid tomato imparts more flavor and needs less vinegar in the finished product. The fleshy portion of the tomato gives the body, but the pulp about the seeds furnishes the characteristic flavor. The collecting of tomatoes in the field should be done at short intervals so that the fruit may be taken when in prime condition. Where picking is done at too wide intervals, there is a tendency to take fruit that is only colored and not really ripe, and for some to be left and become over-ripe. In both cases the manufacturer is the one to suffer, by increasing the expense of sorting, holding the green if he is to make a high grade product, and by waste from cracking and mashing of the over-ripe. The stems should be left in the field, as they increase the weight and may injure the product to a certain extent.