438 Report of Farmers' Institutes 



people because its products are especially conspicuous in markets 

 and homes ; because the gTOSs returns per acre are relatively high 

 as compared to other lines of farming, and because it offers special 

 opportunities for the exercise of managerial ability and skilled 

 salesmanship. 



Many city people have undertaken vegetable gardening in the 

 hope that it could be built into a profitable business. Many have 

 succeeded ; larger numbers have failed. Success has been achieved 

 in general by those who have chosen a good location and have 

 planned their operations to fit; who have had a reasonable amount 

 of capital ; who have had a real inclination toward plants ; who are 

 able to profit by their mistakes; and, finally, who have been able 

 by temperament and equipment to persist in face of serious diffi- 

 culties in the earh' years. 



Vegetable production falls naturally into three- main groups, 

 which may be designated as market gardening, truck farming, and 

 vegetable forcing. 'No sharp distinctions can be drawn between 

 these, and many farms show" characteristics of all three in almost 

 infinite variety of combinations. 



market gardening 



The term "market gardening" is employed in connection with 

 the production of vegetables for local market. This industry is 

 usually found near the cities, where land is valuable and areas are 

 small. It is conducted on an intensive scale at high cost per unit 

 area, but with the expectation of relatively heavy gross returns. 

 Close planting, the growing of more than one crop on the same 

 land in a single season, and the occupancy of the ground by more 

 than one crop at the same time through intercropping or companion 

 cropping are characteristic features. Irrigation is frequently 

 employed and hand labor is more conspicuous than machine work. 

 Fertility is maintained primarily by means of heavj^ applications 

 of stable manure from the city. The cropping plan includes many 

 difl^erent vegetables and* specialization has not been developed very- 

 far. 



This tyq)e of vegetable gardening offers opportunity for the 

 grower to meet the special requirements of his own market. No 

 great distance intervenes between him and his trade. This type 



