Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1897-02-17
For the Herald and Tribune.
EAST TENNESSEE.
Market Gardening. Why and How 1t
May be Profitable in Washing
Ton County.


plicit as that given Of the Knob Creek
valley, but not one of the many who
could do 80 has responded to my re-
quest. am unwilling to guess at the
facts. What | write for the public is
intended to be accurate.
Now for the subject above noted
The soil of our county best suited for
market gardening is the eastern or
southeastern exposures of our many
low ridges that run from southwest to
northeast. Take these exposures, and,
from the crests dow sGr 1T six rods
and you have soil which has been
formed by decayed leaves. We call it
mulatto soil; and, it is exceedingly
rich in plant food. Another peculiarly
OF great importance is, that such soil
takes in an extra amount OF heat
during the day, and gives it out slowly
during the night. The result is, that
destructive frosts in the adjacent val
leys, during the fall and spring months
are only cold but not blghting dews
on these exposures. This enables the
gardener to plant, safely, quite early
in the spring and to harvest vegetables
late in the fall. Orchard fruits on
these exposures are seldomly destroyed
by frost.
If the various ridges OF the class re.
ferred to in our county were arrayed
in single line it would be not less
than three hundred miles long; aud
allowing belt six rods wide, this Pc
culiar market garden soil represents
an aggregate of not less than three
thousand six hundred acres. 1t is
probable that more than half the area
of such exposures are yet in forest
timber. That which is cleared and
cultivated in usual field crops. yields
an average gross profit not exceeding
$40. per acre. What would the aver.
age gross profits per acre be if employ.
ed for market garden productsp | can
answer this question with a good de-
gree Of accuracy. For twelve years
past, | have been making experimental
tests on earth the class of soil referred
to. have cultivated the vegetables
for private use, but have sold some of
overplus in our local markets 30 as
to fix the data of possible profits.
Lettuce, If started the preceding
November and protected cotton awning
against low temperature, and sold from
compact well set bed 5 cents per
pound yields at the rate of two thou.
sand dollars per acre. If transplated
from the beds in early spring and
allowed to head, one thousand five
hundred dollars per acre. No other
vegetable gives 80 large a yield in
value. Strawberries (now | will use
figures feared, as to the lettuce, the
typographer would think l meant hun.
dreds instead of thousands) at so cents
per gallon, $500 per acre.
Tomatoes at cents per pound $225
per acre. Radishes (early turnip) at
8 cents per dozen 5000 per acre. Celery
onions for early market) at 5 cents
per pound $3.50 per acre. Parsnips at
1t cents per pound $175 per acre.
Potato onions at so cents per bushel
1925 per acre. Cabbage, if from cold
frame plants (which goes to the very
earliest market) ut 3 cents per pound,
$500. If from hot bed spring grown
plants, not more than $500 per acre.
AS to beets, carrots, peas, bunch and
pole beans, turnips, potatoes, squashes,
sweet corn, ETC., l can only guess at the
product values. Perhaps the average
per acre would not run above $125.
In making the following estimated
average will not embrace lettuce, for
the reason that it is usually small
plot or bed crop. Taking the other
vegetables in the list an average gross
yield per acre would be $222.
Stop, II you please, Mr.. reader.
am not going to follow up my figures
to show what the aggregate would be
If our $500 acres Of high grade mar
ket garden soils in the county were all
used for that purpose. They might be
80 used il we had New York or Chicago
as close by exclusive market. What
propose to say is, that at least 5O(
acres of the $500 ought to and may be
in the near future, so employed, and
that the gross profits will be fully W
to the figures stated. Then, instead oI
the present gross profits on the 5O(
acres, being $4,000 the aggregate will
be S111,000. There is, however, ne
good reason why at least 1000 of these
acres may not very soon be so employ
ed. representing q gross profit of S444
600 or more. But to do so, good 10
cal market must be created. How il
that to be done? l reply, by employ
ing the water powers of our county a
suggested in my former article, ant
supplement the small industries 8,
built up by number of others on tn
smaller streams in our dense timbe
forests driven by steam power. LIE
this be done; land it can and W i'll be
and the population of our county will
be, speedily, more than doubled. Ii
short our industries would be diversi
fed, and, the accompanying inciden
| will hn as stpndv and unlnnh hln hnnn