72 AGRTCULTURAL EXPLORATIONS IN ALGERIA. 



Near Algiers especially, market gardens abuumi. There the indus- 

 try is chiefly in the hands of natives of the Balearic Islands, while in 

 western Algeria the gardeners are generally Spanish, and in the eastern 

 part of the colony Italians and Maltese. Neither the natives nor the 

 French colonists have gone into the Imsiness of growing truck crops 

 for export, although Arab and Kaliyle families usually have small ^-ar- 

 dens in which they raise vegetal)les for their own use. 



There are a number of factors whicli combine to limit gardens as a 

 connnercial enterprise to the neighborhood of the seashore. Nowhere 

 else, except in the Sahara, are the winters sufKciently warm to allow 

 Algerian vegetables to be put upon the markets of P^urope early enougl) 

 to insure a remunerative price. As it is, the (M)mpetition of the Riviera, 

 and other parts of the northern shore of the Mediterranean, has in 

 recent years cut down by 40 or 50 per cent the prices formerly obtained. 

 Facilities for rapid transportation by water, such as are ol)tainal)le 

 near the coast, are essential to the success of this industry. An abun- 

 dant supply of water for irrigation is indispensable. Finally, the 

 laige (luantities of manure, sewage, etc., that are applied to the gar- 

 dens can only be had in the large cities of the seaboaid. At Tunis, 

 Archimedean screws placed in the drains are said to be used for lifting- 

 sewage on to the tields. 



Mai-ket gardens are generally irrigated by means of the noria. For 

 the first irrigation of the season about 2 acre-inches of water arc 

 applied, while in each subseciuent irrigation about 1.5 acre inches ai-e 

 used. Fxcept in the case of artichokes, which will stand heavy flood- 

 ing, the irrigation of truck ci-ops demands consideral)le skill. The 

 flow of the water should be gentle, and it should be allowed to stand 

 at only a small depth on tlu^ Hclds. 



Bv abundant watering and heavy manuring and fertilizing, crop is 

 made to follow crop with ha:dly any int(M-mission. From gardens 

 thus managed the proflts are very large. A higii rent— often |75 or 

 more an acre — is demanded for the best market-garden land in the 

 vicinity of large cities. The gardener who leases the land usually lives 

 upon it with his family. Fach small plat into which the garden is 

 divided is usually surrounded by a wind-break of reeds, either the liv- 

 ing plants l)eing set closely together to form a hedge or a fence l)eing 

 made of the dead stalks. Sorghum and Indian corn are also used for 

 wind-))reaks. 



Globe artichokes are the truck crop that is most largely grown for 

 export. ''Grosvert de Lraon" (Large Green of Laon) and '' Violet 

 precoce de Provence," or ''V^iolet hatif" (Early Violet of Provence), 

 are the most popular varieties for this ]Mirpose. Artichokes are har- 

 vested throughout the winter, from Octolx'r until April, the same 

 plant yielding several heads in succession. The average yield from an 

 established lield is al)out ;^0,000 marketable heads to the acre. 



