No. 4.] MARKET GARDENING. 119 



RECENT ADYAN(JEMENT IN MARKET GARDENING. 



PROF. R. L. WATTS, PENNSYLVANIA STATE COLLEGE, STATE f'OLLEGE, PA. 



It is a great pleasure to meet with the farmers and horticul- 

 turists of Massachusetts to discuss questions of mutual inter- 

 est. Your State has long been recognized as one of the most 

 prominent in the Union for its large number of intelligent 

 growers of garden and orchard products. I have visited your 

 State several times to inspect and study the vegetable-grow- 

 ing interests, and it aifords me particular pleasure to say that 

 I have always derived great benefit from such investigations. 

 The intensive market-gardening operations and the green- 

 house industry of Boston and vicinity attract attention 

 throughout the country, and are well worth the study of 

 every student of horticulture. 



Has there been Advancement ? 

 A question which naturally arises at this time is : lias 

 there been advancement in recent years in the market-garden- 

 ing operations of the United States ? Although the agricul- 

 tural colleges and experiment stations have not given this in- 

 dustry the attention that many other linos of agriculture have 

 received, I have no hesitation in saying that market garden- 

 ing has made decided advancement. The results of the oper- 

 ations of men engaged in this line of horticulture indicate 

 most clearly that advancement has been made. The growers 

 of vegetables in most sections are obtaining larger yields than 

 ever before, although there are exceptions in communities 

 where the available supply of manure is materially decreased. 

 There is also no question about the fact that decided advance- 

 ment has been made in .the quality of the vegetables offered 

 for sale. Many examples might be given to indicate the im- 

 proved quality of vegetables sold in the markets of the 



