CONTENTS 



CHAPTER PAGE 



I. VEGETABLE GARDENING, OR OLERICULTURE .... I 



Crops and cropping systems 3 



Soil and exposure 8 



Plant diseases and insect enemies 9 



II. THE SOIL AS A FACTOR IN THE WORK OF THE 



MARKET GARDENER . . ... . . . 19 



Water supply 19 



The compost heap . . . . 21 



Time of preparation * . . . 22 



Soil sterilization 23 



III. PRINCIPLES OF PLANTING AND CULTIVATION ... 27 



Preparation of the soil 27 



Water-holding capacity of the soil 32 



Requirements for germination 34 



Transplanting .... 38 



Depth of planting 42 



Commercial production of plants for transplanting purposes . 47 



Fertilizers 48 



Irrigation . . . . , .... ...... ^ . . . . 50 



IV. FORCING AND FORCING STRUCTURES . . .... . 54 



Definition of forcing ."...' 54 



Crops which are forced 54 



Forcing structures 55 



Greenhouse construction and management 61 



Watering 80 



V. ROOT CELLARS AND STORAGE HOUSES . . ... . . 82 



Colorado potato pits 83 



Maine potato cellars . . v . , . * .,.-.., * 84 



The farm root cellar 85 



vii 



