HORTICULTURE 193 



another, so that the factor of distance is not so important as 

 formerly. When the market is oversupplied in one part of the 

 country with a certain article, the railroad enables us to ship it to 

 some other place where a demand for the article exists. Thus in 

 the spring the excess of early vegetables and fruits in the South 

 may be shipped North, where a ready and profitable market may 

 be found for them. Later in the season, when the dry hot weather 

 in the South has made gardening less favorable, the surplus garden 

 products and fruits of the North can be shipped South to advantage- 

 Sometimes there is a general failure of all crops throughout the 

 year, and famine would result but for the facilities in rapid trans- 

 portation afforded us by our railroad and steamship lines, which 

 make it possible for us to secure these things from other more 

 fortunate countries on short notice. The modern refrigerator 

 or cold storage cars make it possible to ship perishable fruits 

 and meats to all parts of our country without danger of loss or 

 decay, regardless of distance. Cold storage warehouses make 

 it possible to preserve perishable products until they can be used- 

 Beef, pork, eggs, butter, fruit, and vegetables are collected in our 

 market centers and are placed in cold storage until the demand for 

 these articles is such that they can be sold at a profit. 



Improved methods in canning, in preserving, and in drying have 

 made it possible to save perishable products so that they may be 

 offered for sale at a time when the market is not glutted. 



The Hotbed. Early crops are made possible by the use of the 

 greenhouse, hotbeds, and cold frames. The greenhouse is some- 

 what difficult of construction and management and is seldom 

 found practicable on small truck farms. The hotbed is easily made, 

 and there is no reason why every farmer should not have one. The 

 box or frame may be of any convenient size and should be about 

 twelve inches high on the north side and about eight inches on the 

 south side. Before putting the frame in position dig a pit at least 

 two feet deep and one foot larger each way than the frame to be 

 used. When this is done the pit should be filled with fresh 

 horse manure containing a liberal amount of straw bedding. 

 This manure should be stirred several times with a fork and 

 kept moist by watering if necessary until the whole mass 

 is heating moderately and uniformly, and as soon as this is 



PEAC. AGRICUL. 13 



