CHAPTER XIV. 



CUCUMBERS;, TOMATOES AND MELONS AS WINTER CROPS. 



For many years, the forcing of tomatoes and cucum- 

 bers for winter marketing has been quite profitable near 

 some of the large eastern cities, but at the present time 

 there are fewer inducements to engage in the business 

 than formerly, owing in part to the low price at which 

 the southern-grown crops can be placed on the northern 

 market, and the competition from the large number of 

 persons who are now engaged in the business. 



During the spring and early summer, after the time 

 when lettuce can no longer be grown with success in the 

 houses, there is still an opportunity of growing both of 

 these crops with profit, as the houses can be used for 

 nothing else at this time, and there will be but a small 

 expenditure for fuel. In the winter, however, the expense 

 of keeping up the necessary high temperature in the 

 houses will be very large, and the prices sometimes run 

 very low, but with good care fairly profitable returns 

 will be secured. 



When these crops are grown in beds, a crop of beans 

 or lettuce can be taken off before the entire space will be 

 needed by the vines. If either cucumbers or tomatoes 

 are grown in solid benches, to follow a lettuce crop, the 

 growth of the plants can be hastened, and fuel can be 

 saved, by digging trenches under where the rows of 

 plants are to be set, one foot wide and deep, and filling 

 with fresh horse manure. This will gradually decom- 

 pose and will furnish bottom heat to accelerate the 



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