Cold Vegetable Houses. — 8i 



reasonably close — say 2 feet each way — and should be trimmed 

 to single stalk, and trained to stakes or strings. The removal of 

 the sashes at the proper time, as with the other crop, will give 

 the dry atmosphere needed for " fruit setting." 



Proceeds from season's work. — Some of my readers will 

 desire to have some estimate of the money that can be realized 

 from the various crops produced durmg one season in a building 

 as described, and covering 2,500 square feet. 



The spinach crop, if well grown, should not be less than 30 

 barrels. I have seen 40 barrels taken off a cold house of this 

 size, and am sure that 50 can be grown easily enough. 

 To be on the safe side we call it 30 barrels. Late in 

 February, or early in March, it usually brings from ;^2.oo to $3.50 

 at wholesale in the New York City market. If it nets the grower 

 ;^3.oo the crop gives him ;^90.oo. Next comes the radish crop, 

 consisting of at least 5,000 bunches, netting 2 cents each, or 

 ;^ 100.00 in the aggregate. Lettuce, if grown instead of the 

 radishes, wholly or in part, will bring approximately the same 

 figure. The cucumber (or tomato) crop may add ^$75. 00 more 

 to the net proceeds, which sum up as follows, viz. : 



Spinach, 30 barrels, at ;^3.00 $ 90 00 



Radishes, 5,000 bunches, at 2 cents, 100 00 



Cucumbers, 75 00 



Total net proceeds, ;^265 00 



Deducting from this sum the amount of interest on invest- 

 ment, with ;^35.oo, and legitimate wear and tear, with ^30.00, or 

 ;^65.oo in all, we have for our season's work in the one cold house 

 the net amount of ;^200.oo. In most cases the proceeds will be 

 larger, since I have purposely put the returns low enough, and 

 the expenses high enough, in order to be on the safe side in 

 either direction. 



I will only add that the cold forcing house as here described, 

 is a contrivance which gives the gardener an opportunity for 

 employment at very fair paying rates during a time of more or 

 less enforced idleness, thus also enabling him to keep a good 

 hired man, if he has such, permanently the year round, instead of 

 discharging all hands at the beginning of winter, and beginning 

 with an entirely new set of raw hands next spring. 



3^70 



