Richmond daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1876-1904, 1901-10-18
RAISING GARDEN TRUCk
Growth of an Important Aori.
cultural Industry.
SUPPLYING TIE LARGE CITIES

Profits to he Obtained From Small
Embellishments New England
New Jersey and Long Island the
+ Principal Truck Farming Sectinn.
Interesting Facts From AsricuI-
tural BaIIetin.
| In bulletin recently issued by the
agricultural department at Washing
/ ton interesting information is given re-
/ So riding the truck growing industry
all the New England states, whose
| crops supply Boston and other New
/ England cities with late summer yege-
| tables. This division contains the
/ smallest area devoted to the garden
/ truck industry of any of the districts
| of the coast country, and its ayera ge
/ Individual farms are very much small
| Ell than those found in other sections
| The growing Of vegetables under glass
! Is carried on extensively around Bos-
/ ton and Providence, Y. L., and it is
owing to this fact that the raising of
crops is so much more expensive in
New England than in other sections of
I the country. These dollhouse vegeta-
! bles are marketed in Boston, New
York, Philadelphia, Baltimore. Wash
ington and Chicago. where they find
q ready market and command very
high prices. Notwithstanding the nee
essarily heavy expenses incurred in
carrying on this particular branch of
the garden truck industry the profits
a biol Ior h,y
ed in any other part of the country,
with the possible exception of a few
individual cases in Florida, where
vegetables are produced in the open
fields in midwinter and command near
IL as high prices as those grown under
glass and by the more expensive meth
DDS of New England.
Boston is the center of the largest
greenhouse vegetable industry in the
United States. Within radius of
twenty five miles of that city may be
found over 200 acres of land under
glass devoted almost exclusively to the
growing of vegetables. Lettuce. Gu
cumbers. radishes. parsley. spinach. to-
matoes. beets and parsnips are the
principal crops grown. In many in
stances four crops are grown annually,
and. although naturally the demand
for these vegetables is greater in win
ter than in summer. their excellent and
unvarying quality make them eagerly
sought after by both the rich and those
of epicurean tastes. and they can
therefore be profitably grown during
all seasons of the year.
The wages of the men employed vary.
Ordinary hands receive about $40 a
month. while men of more experience
are paid from S4o to $50. An over
seer or superintendent of large plant
will often receive salary as high as
from $1,000 to $500 annually.
An average modern greenhouse is
about go by 40 feet square and costs
So 900 to build. Two experienced men
can properly care for the cultivation
of vegetables in such a house, and the
net profits for a single year have run
as high as 100 per cent on the money
invested. while 30 per cent is consid-
cred a low estimate for average yearly
profits.
The latest and most improved meth
DDS are always employed by these New
England greenhouse truck farmers Ev
cry device kNown TO insure the pro-
duction of perfect plants is used In
some instances all surface soil to the
depth of three or four inches is thor
oughly sterilzed before being placed in
the greenhouses.
The New York and Philadelphia dis
trict embraces New Jersey. Pennsyl
vania and the more southeasterly sec
ton of New York state, including Long
Island, and contributes to all of the
leading markets in these states.
The season in this region is about
two weeks earlier than that of the
New England district and probably
four weeks behind Norfolk. and that
portion of its area which is devoted ex-
clusively TO truck growing is much
larger than in any of the other coast
regions. Its season is comparatively
short one, but all the standard varieties
of vegetables are grown, and they are
of excellent quality.
The western end Of Long Island is
so thickly occupied by this industry
that 1t virtually presents to the eye
the appearance of one great truck farm.
and the vast output from this section
is almost entirely consumed by the mil
lions Of people located within a few
miles of the base of supply.
In this New York and Philadelphia
district are located numerous large
cities which not only supply a market
for garden truck Of local production,
but which draw enormously upon the
southern districts for both fruits and
vegetables New York city is probably
the greatest market In the United
States for the trucking districts of the
south.
Vegetables commonly known as
greens. such as kaie. spinach sprouts
and lettuce, begin 10 arrive early in De
eember. and as this is close TO the time
that the supply from northern truck
farms is exhausted il virtually insures
New York supply of these vegeta bles