The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1881-07-06
Market Gardening around New
York.

By Peter Henderson, read before the Annaul
Meeting Of the American association of Mar
Serymen, Florists, and SeedSme7e held in Dan
ton, o., Jane l6, 1881.
Probably nowhere, in this or any
other country, is the business of mar
ket gardening better done than in the
vicinity Of New York City. The
reason for this is probably to be
found in the fact, that New York,
being the great depot for all the ma.
tionalities of Europe, it gets from
there the various methods tn ere prac-
lised in addition to this, and what
may have even more to with it, our
higher priced labor forces us to adopt
plans entirely unthought of there
Certain it is, that, so far as practical
work in use for cultivation is CON
cerned, our methods, in nearly all
operations are quicker done and
equally well done here as there.
In the immediate suburbs OF New
York, where the lands are being rap
idly taken for building sites, many
of the market gardeners pay as high
as 500 rent per acre annually, and
that too, in most cases, without a
lease. All such lands, of course, are
cultivated to their fullest capacity,
and even at present prices, (Which
are hardly yet up to those OF ante
war times, bring an average gross
income Of about $1,000 per acre. A
great advantage is found in having
the lands for growing vegetables as
near the city as possible. The saw
ing in hauling manure is one impor-
tant item; but another, and one far
more important, is that, if the grow
er is near enough to the city to make
two or three trips day, in such a
fuctuating market as New York, it
is greatly to his advantage, l have
frequently seen that nearly double
value could be obtained tor products
within twenty four hours. | remem-
Der, on one occasion, when engaged
in business in Jersey City, where we
were within half an hours time of the
great wholesale Washington Market
of New York, one Saturday, that
each Of our four Wagons made three
trips, taking in twelve loads of cab
bages, which averaged $50 per load :;
while on the Monday following the
same loads only brought us $50 per
load. Had we been ten or twelve
miles distant from the market, as
the greater number of those engaged
in the business are, the advantages of
the high rates ruling that day could
not have been taken advantage of
am inclined to believe that, what
ever kind of horticultural product is
grown, whether fruit, flowers or veg
etables,s she that is nearest the market,
other things being equal, has a de-
cided advantage; so much so that, in
most cases, he had better pay $50 or
even 500 per acre rent, if within
one or miles from the market of a
large city, than to get land ten or
twelve miles away for nothing.
have little to relate new in meth.
DDS Of culture, ip the open ground in
market gardening. Nearly the same
processes are now practised as when
first wrote my work on this subject
in 1866; but since that time we have
made many important improvements
in culture under glass, particularly in
the methods in use in starting plants
of cabbage caulifower, and lettuce;
the old plan of sowing the seeds for
these plants in the open air in Sep.
tember and pricking them off in Octo-
ber, and keeping them in cold frames