Daily Republican., 1884-01-31
MARKET GARDENING.
TA Il PROFITS OF THE BUsIN ESS
-THE kOIL OF DELAWARE
GOOD FOR THE PURPOSE.

| " - FnOFA VT k1hL nNSAN 20
THE kOIL Of DELAWARE
GOOD FOK THE PURPOSE.
Benjamin Franklin says: "Ther
seems to be but three ways for nati0
to acquire wealth. The first is by wal
az the Romans did, in pluudering thei
neighbOrs this Is robbery. The secon'
by commerce, which is frequently cheat
ing. The third by agriculture, the onl.
honest way wherein man receives ;
real increase of the seed thrown into tn
lground, in kind of continual miracle
wrought by the hand Of God in hi.
favor as a reward for his innocent lite
and his virtuous industry"
The truth of these words Of the
philosopher have been proved in all
ages, and orators from Cicero down to
those OF the present day have delighted
in extolling the beauties Of the lite OF
the husbandman, and tiller of the soil.
A noted writer says !: 81 believe II
you'd promote the general happiness OF
society to inculcate the doctrine ttat
farming il the destined occupation OF
all men at birth, and that he who for
sakes II for other pursuits, must show
substantial reasons for the departure,
TO entitle him TO encouragement" 1t
is certain agriculture was the first
pursuit. engaged in by man, and that in
it the Creator has furnished a safe and
healthy employment for all.
But farming, like all othe, business,
has, within the past few years, under
S'ne many changes, and it no longer
pays TO have large fields of grain In the
vicinity Of large cities. The immense
farms OF what was few years ago the
distant West, but which Is now through
the agency of the railroads, but few
hours away, can raise grain enough
to supply the world, while the stock
farmers Of the still further northwest
and southw can, through the same
agency, furnish the meat required to
feed nations or armies,
Land for radius Of miles around
every city has increased 30 greatly in
value that every means must be adopt
cd TO obtain the greatest amount from
each acre, and the question arises how
can the best results be obtained?
Whenever land Is close to a city or
town, or has ready means of communi.
cation by railroad, market gardening is
undoubtedly the most profitable method
that can be employed, as vegeta bles are
among the most important of all foods,
and are used alike by rich and poor
This particular branch of hush andry
has been increasing and improving
every year, and there are persons now
living, who can remember when toma-
toes, egg plants, sugar corn and Okras
were almost unknown, and squashes,
watermelons and cantalouPeswere very
rare.
New vegetables have not only been
introduced, but others have been i'm
proved and rendered more popular, un-
til now no better or finer favored vege
tables can be found than those grown by !
the truckers and market gardeners of |
Delaware, Pennsy vania, and New Jer-
sey.S
1t is calculated that within a radius of
one hundred miles around Philade.
phia, there are not less than Eve mil
lion acres of land suitable for vegeta.
BILE farming, and a part of the be Of
these lands, rs far as climate and ma ur-
al advantages are concerned, are in this
State. Part of this area Of land adapt
I'd to trucking Is already in use for that
purpose, and thousands of tons Of vege.
tables are g own every year, that hnd
ready sale either in New York, Phila- |
delphia or some of the other cities, or
at canneries in the vicinity of the |
farms. |
Last year the canneries of Della ware
and Maryland alone, used up 1,470, 200
bushels of tomatoes, In addition TO corn,
beans and other esculent vegetables,
and this, coupled with the demand In
cities, which is increasing every year,
renders the business one that il certain
to bring satisfactory returns. The mar
ket gardener frequently realizes as
much for a few heads of cabbage as
his ncighbor, the farmer, obtains for a
bushel of grain.
But to ensure SUCCESS in this bushes 3
a man must POSSESS some capital, that
should be united with the qualitca-
tiOns OF the trucker, farmer, merchant
and chemist, as IA trucker and far
mer must understand the proper time
to plant, how to tend and when to gar
ner his crops as a merchant he must
be able to sell them to the best advan-
tage, so al to obtain the greatest returns
for his labor, and knowledge of chem
istry will enable him to understand
" hat manures and fertilizers are best
adapted to different soils.
In fact, there is probably no business
where more qualifications are required ,
Or where education is of more practical
benefit than in advanced market gar
1ening. If the business is conducted in
! proper manner it is highly profitable, ,
if the gardeners are close
.nough to a city to experience but little
iificulty or expense in getting their
products to Market
Market gardens in the vicinity of !
frequently rent for $l00 to
300 per acre, and in the suburbs of
Paris, there is a truck farm of three
.cres, for which the tenant pays $1,000
year rent, aud yet makes money for =,
himself. If this can be done in Europe, /
where alHost everything il sold cheaper
han in this country,it can be done here,
md all that is required to attain the t
anne result Is systematic work, COIN
lined with knowledge, which is power. {
-SN.- r