574 ANN UAL ^REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



eral grower. The question whether a inau should produce a variety 

 of crops or confine himself to a few vegetables depends largely upon 

 local conditions and facilities for marketing. 



The growing of a variety of crops on a large scale is usually con- 

 fined to farms within easy reach of large cities. The business is 

 generally satisfactory because the producer deals directly with re- 

 tailer, jobber or commission merchant, and he does not take as 

 great risks as growers w ho must ship by rail. 



One of the best examples of a market gardener and fruit grower 

 producing a variety of crops on a very large scale is Mr. Horace 

 Eoberts, of Moorestown, N. J. Mr. Roberts has about 1,000 acres 

 of land, nearly all of which is devoted to the growing of fruits and 

 vegetables. The most unique thing about Mr. Eoberts' farming is 

 that his usual practice is to buy run-down farms, plant them in 

 orchards, and by growing vegetables between the fruit trees, pay 

 for the farms from the sale of vegetables during the first two or 

 three years. This business-like method of farming has for its pri- 

 mary purpose the growing of orchards which are very profitable 

 after reaching a bearing age, and yet, vegetables grown between the 

 trees are very remunerative regardless of the fruit trees which re- 

 ceive the best kind of care with this system of tillage. Companion 

 cropping is practiced to the fullest extent on these New Jersey 

 farms. A typical plan is to set apple trees with peach trees for 

 fillers. Dwarf peas are generally sown for the first early crop with 

 rows about five feet apart. Later in the spring, after danger of 

 frost, a row of tomato or other vegetable plants is set between the 

 peas. After the last picking of peas, the vines are cultivated into 

 the soil and the land between trees devoted entirely to tomatoes 

 and other crops until late in the summer when a cover crop is 

 started. Crimson clover is the most valuable crop used on Mr. 

 Roberts' farm, as well as on iliost other truck farms in New Jer- 

 sey. It is ideal, because being a legume, it gathers free nitrogen 

 from the atmosphere and when plowed under furnishes rich or- 

 ganic material to feed crops that may be planted in the future. If 

 tomatoes and other vegetables are harvested too late to give a good 

 start of crimson clover, rye is sown. No land is allowed to lie bare 

 on these farms if it can be avoided. 



Another plan commonly practiced on the Roberts' farms is to 

 plant peas followed with beans drilled between the rows of peas and 

 the beans followed with crimson clover. Peas are used most ex- 

 tensively for early spring planting. Two hundred and fifty acres 

 were planted last year, using as inter-tillage crops, tomatoes, cab- 

 bage, cuctlmbers, watermelons, muskmelons, sweet corn and a few 

 other vegetables. The method is satisfactory in every particular 

 and it should be practiced more largely. Another unique plan used 

 is to set strawberries early in the spring in rows five feet apart, the 

 plants placed two and one-half feet apart in the rows. About the 

 first of June, tomato plants are set in every other space in the mid- 

 dle of the straw^berry rows. The plan has been found very satisfac- 

 tory, giving a heavy crop of tomatoes and the vines of this vege- 

 table do not seem to interfere seriously with the growth of the 

 strawberries, so that a full yield is obtained the following spring. 



