A GENERAL VIEW 11 



the spring and early summer months, is enormous. It is 

 then necessary to apply water every day, and sometimes 

 twice a day. If the greenhouse covers an acre of ground, 

 26,963 gallons of water will be required to equal the 

 quantity that would be applied by an inch of rainfall. 



(6) It is impossible to grow greenhouse crops success- 

 fully without a liberal supply of manure. Some vege- 

 table forcers use 30 to 40 tons annually to the acre. The 

 supply should be within easy reach, and the cost reason- 

 able. 



(7) Labor should be easily obtainable. Vegetable 

 forcing is an all-year proposition, a fact which simplifies 

 the problem of securing and keeping the necessary help. 



(8) A clear atmosphere, free from the smoke of fac- 

 tories and railroad trains, is essential to success. 



Climatic influences. Although the grower of green- 

 house vegetables is able to create proper conditions for 

 plant growth, yet he is at the mercy of climatic influences 

 to a great extent, and these should also be considered in 

 the selection of a location. An abundance of sunshine is 

 of prime importance because it reduces the amount of 

 fuel required, accelerates growth, increases yields, 

 shortens the time required to mature a crop, and de- 

 creases the ravages of disease. Sunshine is particularly 

 important in furnishing favorable conditions for polleniz- 

 ing the flowers of fruit-bearing plants, such as the tomato, 

 pepper, eggplant and cucumber. 



Southern sections have a greater percentage of sunny 

 days during the winter season than has the North. 

 Furthermore, fuel consumption depends upon the dura- 

 tion of the firing period and the severity of the weather. 

 Here, the South again has the advantage over the North. 

 Other disadvantages, however, have seemed to give 

 northern locations the preference in the production of 

 greenhouse vegetables for their own markets. As pre- 

 viously stated, the frame industry in the South is very 



