48 Second Annual Report 



Seed of some seventy-five varieties were purchased under 

 authorization of the Bureau of Plant Industry of the U. S. 

 Department of Agriculture, including- the most promising of these 

 British varieties, and those reputed as disease resisters in France, 

 the Netherlands and Germany. These will be tested in com- 

 parison with American varieties and used as a basis for further 

 breeding and selection. This work will be in immediate charge 

 of Professor William Stuart at the Vermont Experiment Sta- 

 tion, and Mr. William Orton of the National Department will 

 conduct similar trials at other points, south and west. It is 

 believed that this work will lead to important results and furnish 

 a basis for the even greater development of the production of 

 hardy strains of northern grown seed potatoes. 



MARKET GARDENING. 



BY L. H. she;ldon, F'AIR haven^ vt. 



We are all more or less familiar with market gardening 

 in Virgina, Texas,, Florida, and Long Island, but who ever 

 heard of the advantages of Vermont in that direction ? In the few 

 minutes of your time that I may take, I hope to show something 

 of the possibilities and profit of developing the home markets 

 of our State. I believe thoroughly in working the local trade 

 tc the greatest possible extent for the output of our farms. 



If this society is helpful in educating our people to grow 

 more fruit and vegetables, and to teach them how much 

 more healthful, economical and satisfactory they are to use 

 in our families, than the meats, canned goods and adulterated 

 foods that we now so largely use, it will not have lived in vain. 

 In our own case we have been surprised at the possibilities 

 that we find opening up in the home market. 



An enforced stay of four weeks in New York last fall, 

 with leisure to investigate the fruit and vegetable trade, made me 

 more than satisfied with our little business in the home town. 

 In fact we had a little practical experience. 



Our Wealthy Apples were too quick for us this season, and 

 mostly fell to the ground. The remainder were hand picked, 

 carefully graded, packed the best we knew how and shipped 

 to New York. They sold for $i.oo, netting 35c per bbl. If 

 we had paid 40c for our barrels, we should have had to adopt 

 the old lady's reasoning who bought shoestrings at 25c per dozen 

 and sold at 2c per pair, but she explained that she did a good 

 deal of business. However, it is fair to say that the apples were 

 on the road for a month. The windfalls were gathered into 



