6 The Bulletin. 



ing land in the piedmont and mountain sections where vegetables 

 requiring cool, moist soil conditions can be grown more readily than 

 they can farther east. Late crops of cabbage and potatoes can be 

 grown profitably in these localities. 



CLIMATE. 



Climatic conditions play as important a part in the production of 

 market-garden crops as any other factor. The soil may be ideal; 

 plant food present in unlimited quantities; cultivation all that could 

 be desired; and yet, with unfavorable climatic conditions, the truck 

 grower will find himself laboring under a decided disadvantage. Start- 

 ing from Florida and moving northward along the Atlantic coast, a 

 distance of 15 miles is equivalent to a difference of one day in the time 

 of maturity of the different crops. One hundred miles means a differ- 

 ence of about one week. In this day of rapid development and keen 

 competition in the trucking business, it is advisable that those who con- 

 template the growing of these crops, for the early northern market, 

 consider this condition, for the difference of a few days in the market- 

 ing of a crop often means a decided variation in the profits. 



PREPARATION OF THE SOIL. 



Vegetables will yield more profitable returns from the careful prep- 

 aration and handling of the soil than will the average farm crop. 

 While it is true that each vegetable requires cultural treatment partic- 

 ularly suited to its individuality, there are some requirements that 

 apply to the growing of almost all truck crops. An ample supply of 

 moisture and a liberal amount of readily available plant food must be 

 present in order to promote the rapid growth necessary to make the 

 cultivation of these crops profitable. Deep plowing, the application of 

 plenty of humus, either in the form of stable manure or some soiling 

 crop, and thorough tillage, will improve the physical condition and 

 increase the amount of fertility of almost all soils. This is particularly 

 true of clay and sandy land. Black peaty bottom-land usually contains 

 plenty of vegetable matter. In addition to deep plowing and careful 

 tillage, soils of this character can best be improved by drainage and the 

 application of lime. As a rule, the more care and attention given the 

 preparation of land for truck crops, the more easily can cultivation be 

 carried on and the more profitable will be the yields. 



FERTILIZERS. 



Market gardeners used to consider that vegetables could not be grown 

 successfully without the use of stable manure. While it is doubtless 

 true that for most crops of this kind well-rotted stable manure can 

 hardly be equaled, few growers are so situated as to be able to obtain 



