A GENERAL VIEW 7 



Florida sent immense quantities of head lettuce to Boston 

 and other markets of the Boston growers. Mishaps in 

 the Florida fields since 1909 have improved market condi- 

 tions for head lettuce in the East, so that greenhouse 

 building about Boston was a few years later more active. 

 The western growers have also felt the keen competition 

 of southern gardeners ; notwithstanding this -fact, there 

 has been a very large increase of the glass area in most of 

 the Middle States in recent years. 



The superior quality of greenhouse vegetables is be- 

 coming more generally recognized every year, and this is 

 the factor that assures the successful grower of at least 

 reasonable profits. The southern field-grown vegetables 

 sometimes find their way to the garbage disposal plants, 

 while the better products of the greenhouses are sold, 

 though the prices may be very low. There can be no 

 discounting the fact that tomatoes, fully ripened on the 

 plants in the greenhouse, are far superior in quality to the 

 field-grown specimens picked green or only partially ripe, 

 and held for days in transportation and by a long line of 

 middlemen before arriving at the consumer's table. 

 Similar statements might be made regarding other 

 important forcing crops. 



Above all, it behooves the greenhouse grower of vege- 

 tables to bear in mind that high quality is the first con- 

 sideration if he is to make a financial success of his 

 enterprise, and no effort should be spared which will con- 

 tribute to that end. The choice of good varieties, seed 

 selection, proper cultural methods, rigid grading, skillful 

 packing and prompt marketing, all count for high quality, 

 and high quality counts for high prices. 



Economic production. Greenhouse growers of vege- 

 tables usually meet with competition from two sources: 

 First, from those who are forcing crops under artificial 

 conditions; and, second, from cultivators who are pro- 

 ducing under the natural conditions of the field, but are 



