Market-garden Accounts 231 



The total initial cost of establishing a freehold market garden of 10 ac. 

 may be thus about 3000. The question of fencing is important. If 

 the site selected is not already properly protected by walls or hedges it 

 will be necessary to spend a large sum in fencing material. If this can 

 be saved, of course, so much the better. In any case we will assume 

 that 3000 is necessary to make a start. Then comes the question of 

 annual expenses, which may be stated as follows: 



TABLE II. ESTIMATE SHOWING THE APPROXIMATE ANNUAL EXPENSES 

 OF WORKING A FREEHOLD MARKET GARDEN OF 10 ACRES. ' 



s. d. 



Eates, taxes, and insurance 25 



Labour 



1 foreman at 30s. per week 78 



3 gardeners at 25s. each 195 



2 carters at 25s. 130 



3 women or girls at 10s. 78 



3 boys at 10s 78 



Keep for 2 horses at 30s. weekly 78 



Manure, 200 tons at 5s. per ton 50 



Depreciation on buildings, houses, horses, vans, &c. 60 



Household expenses 200 



Interest on 3000 capital at 5 per cent 150 



Seeds, bulbs, and miscellaneous 150 



Coal or coke 60 



Total 1332 



Thus the first year the market gardener will have to find about 3000 

 for capital expenses, 1330 for current expenses, making 4330 altogether. 

 This is a large sum of money, but if well spent he should get some of it 

 back from the sale of produce, such as vegetables, Cucumbers, Tomatoes, 

 flowers. Fruit cannot be expected to yield an appreciable income for the 

 first five years. The ground, however, between the fruit trees and bushes, 

 if well cultivated and stocked with greenstuff, hardy flowers, &c., will 

 not remain altogether unproductive, and it would be safe to assume that 

 9 ac. out of the 10 would yield an average gross return of 10s. per rod 

 that is to say, 1440 rods at 10s. per rod would yield about 720 per 

 annum for the first five years. To this sum must be added the receipts 

 from Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Chrysanthemums, and bedding stuff grown 

 under glass, which may be put down at another 500, making a total 

 revenue of 1220 per annum against an expenditure of 1330, which, 

 however, includes 200 for household expenses. 



It may be better to assume, however, that the 10-ac. market garden 

 has been worked properly for the first six or seven years at an annual cost 

 of 1330, and that the fruit trees and bushes are now in a progressive 

 bearing condition, and yielding more and more fruit year after year. 



