SECTION XXXII 

 Vegetable Growing for Market 



i. GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS 



When the growing of vegetables is contemplated, questions of market 

 and carriage assume an importance that did not belong to them so long 

 as the cultivation of fruit was alone under consideration. The vegetables 

 that yield the best return to the cultivator are the earliest in the spring; 

 but it is desirable not only to supply the spring market, but to continue 

 the supply during the hot months of summer and right through autumn 

 and winter. 



Soil. Shallow gravelly soil freely manured will do the first, but will 

 suffer the crops to burn in summer, and give little chance in many years 

 for autumn crops to establish themselves. Strong loamy land will hold 

 the summer crops and afford better opportunity of getting out the autumn 

 and winter crops, but will be too cold for early crops in the spring. 



Deep alluvial land, sheltered from the north and east, sloping, if 

 sloping at all, to the south and west, will do all three. Such are the 

 old convent lands of Evesham; such were the rich market garden lands 

 of Fulham, now, alas! buried under bricks and mortar. 



Water. There must be a plentiful supply of water at small cost 

 for vegetable growing: for not only will it sometimes be necessary to 

 water the seed beds, those magazines from which the fields must be 

 charged, but the preparation of the vegetables for market includes wash- 

 ing and watering. Any doubt as to the sufficiency and availability of 

 the water supply must be set at rest before any binding contract for a 

 "take" is made. 



A well of moderate depth, giving a regular supply, with wind pump 

 and raised tank for storage, or, better still, pump worked by oil engine 

 or gas engine will do. 



Markets, Carriage, &C. Convenient access to market is an indis- 

 pensable condition, and this considerably restricts the area of possible 

 selection for a vegetable garden. 



Dependence, too, upon railway carriage solely is not to be desired, 

 because there are many vegetables which will not arrive at market in 



