866 THE AMERICAN FARMER. 



always remembering to press the soil firmly around the roots, and to cover them well, or, 

 with most garden plants, as deeply as the first leaves. The after-culture is to keep the 

 garden free from weeds, and the soil in a friable condition by frequent stirring. When the 

 insects are troublesome, remedies must of course be applied or resorted to for their extermi 

 nation. 



Market Gardening. This consists of growing vegetables extensively, for the purpose 

 of supplying the demand for such articles in the markets of large cities and towns. Mr. J. 

 B. Moore, of Concord, Mass., well known as an extensive fruit-grower and market gardener 

 says of market gardening: &quot;It is a form of agriculture combined with horticulture, and to 

 be carried on successfully must have, in addition to the original cost of the land, a considerable 

 amount of capital invested in manure, glass, and structures, either in the form of forcing 

 houses or hotbeds. And it requires more skill in the preparation of the soil, more skill in the 

 selection and planting of the seed, more skill in the adaptation and application of manure to 

 the different varieties of plants, and more skill and care in the preparation and marketing of 

 the crops than is usually practiced in ordinary farming. 



It is also a source of constant care to any one who carries on the business, and there 

 exists a necessity of doing everything at the right time, no matter what the state of the 

 weather may be, wet or dry. And there must be a constant watch kept for insects injurious 

 to plants, so that they may be promptly exterminated, and before they have increased so as 

 to render their destruction a matter of difficulty, or have done the garden much damage, 

 And as compared with common farming it involves harder work, but is more profitable &quot; 



Essentials in Market Gardening, Profits, etc. The requisites included in 

 market gardening have been so admirably defined by Mr. William D. Philbrick of Mass., so 

 well known as a skillful market gardener of extensive experience, that we give his opinions 

 the preference in connection with this subject. He says: &quot; The essential things for 

 profitable market gardening are nearness to a good market, a good soil, and sufficient capital. 

 A good gardener should have a natural tact for the business, which will include habits of 

 industry, a keen, observing eye, and should have some years experience; for it is a trade that 

 cannot be learned wholly from, books and papers, but needs practical acquaintance with the 

 many details of the work for success. Many of the failures in attempting this trade or 

 business are due to want of capital, but perhaps more to want of the necessary experience, 

 or of natural tact. 



The distance from market will control, in a great measure, the nature of the crops that 

 can be profitably grown. Within six miles of a large city, the manure wagon and market 

 wagon can make two trips in a day, if needful; and this nearness gives a very great 

 advantage where a large amount of manure must be applied to a small amount of land, and 

 balances the greater amount of land, and higher taxes and rent, or interest, which encumber 

 the garden near town. Many of the gardens near Boston are worth over one thousand 

 dollars per acre. The amount of manure used on these gardens is from twenty to thirty 

 cords per acre every year. It keeps a two-horse team going every day to draw the manure 

 used on some grounds, of not over twelve acres, and the produce on some of the gardens 

 will average one thousand dollars per acre per year, for the whole garden, for a term of five 

 years. The market wagon upon such a garden makes daily trips to market, and at certain 

 busy seasons three or four loads daily will be sent. 



When the distance from market is more than seven, and less than fifteen miles, the 

 nature of the business is changed. Lan& is cheaper, being worth from fifty to two hundred 

 dollars per acre; the hauling of manure and of produce costs double or more what it does 

 nearer market; and here it is that we find the gardeners (or farmers as they are more properly 

 called) devoting .their energies with greater profit to such vegetables as require less manure, 



