CHAPTER XI 



MARKET GARDENING 



THE home garden has been discussed in Chap- 

 ter VI, and this chapter we shall devote to 

 market gardening, or commercial gardening. 



By market gardening we mean growing garden crops 

 in large areas and where individuals are devoting all of 

 their energies to this one line. Market gardens are gen- 

 erally located near large cities (within five to ten miles) , 

 where the produce can be taken to market on wagons; 

 yet many are successfully carrying on the business at a 

 much greater distance from market, and shipping their 

 produce by express or freight. There are advantages in 

 favor of both locations. When near the markets one 

 may be able to watch prices from day to day and sell or 

 hold any crop as the market may warrant. Supplies, 

 too, may be bought cheaper, and the cost of transporta- 

 tion both ways will be much less. On the other hand, 

 land near large markets generally commands a high 

 price. 



In the country at long distances from markets 

 land is cheap, and one may find that which is adapted 

 to any crop desired. Rotation, too, may be practised 

 on the larger area which the lower prices would render 

 available, whereby crops may be grown with less cost 

 than if the same crop were grown on land continuously 

 cropped, and with . the modern methods of trans- 

 portation by express on both steam and trolley lines 

 produce can be carried at low rates. Moreover the 

 modern commercial fertilizers are made in such variety 



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