8 INTRODUCTORY SUGGESTIONS. 



famous "carnation belt" of Chester county, Pennsylvania, 

 tomatoes are largely grown as an early spring crop, fol- 

 lowing the crops of carnation cuttings. 



Locations for vegetable forcing. The items which 

 chiefly enter into the choice of an ideal location for the 

 forcing of vegetables are the transportation facilities and 

 the price of fuel. The operator makes his climate, and 

 mixes his soils to order. Yet a sunny climate is always to 

 be preferred, for it is essential to quick and sure results in 

 midwinter that there be an abundance of direct sunlight. 

 The severity of the climate as respects cold is a very minor 

 factor, for the operator is able, in the construction and pro- 

 tection of his house, to make himself very largely indepen- 

 dent of the outside temperature without great additional 

 consumption of fuel. Whilst the gardener manufactures 

 his soil, so to speak, yet in certain crops (as in heading 

 lettuce) it is very important that the soil of the neighbor- 

 hood should be free of hard clay. 



The transportation facilities are all-important. The pro- 

 duct must reach the market expeditiously, and there should 

 be direct access to several good markets. The product 

 is not bulky, and the expense of shipping it is not heavy. 

 Distance from market, therefore, is a less important factor 

 than frequent and expeditious means of shipping. If one 

 has a large product to ship, the actual distance from market 

 is of still less moment, for the gardener can secure con- 

 cessions on transportation rates ; but it is nevertheless 

 important that the market be directly accessible. Many 

 of the large vegetable forcers ship their products two and 

 three hundred miles. All winter products are shipped 

 by express. 



The vegetable forcing establishments are widely scat- 

 tered. The larger part of them are in the environs of the 

 large cities of the east, but many of them are in small cities 

 or villages several hours removed from the markets. They 

 can often be established with profit upon farms which are 

 near one or more good railway stations, and when the 



