FOREWORD 



From the earliest time the quick-growing garden crops have 

 attracted much attention. At first, cultivation of these plants was 

 confined to a restricted area near the habitation because it was con- 

 venient to have a fresh supply of appetizing plants and because a 

 large return could be had from a small area. So long as the indus- 

 tries of the people allowed them to occupy the land, and the popu- 

 lation was rural rather than urban, the garden formed the great 

 source of the supply of vegetables; but as economic conditions 

 changed and the population of the country became centered in 

 great cities, the garden expanded into an intensive enterprise known 

 as the market garden. But soon the supply of these gardens be- 

 came inadequate, and through improved transportation facilities the 

 products of distant fields became available ; as a result an exten- 

 sive rather than intensive method of gardening was developed, 

 to which the name " truck farming " has been given. 



Prior to the development of the truck farm there grew up, as a 

 supplement to market gardening, a very important branch of gar- 

 dening under glass, known technically as the forcing industry. The 

 large investment, the great number of people occupied in this 

 industry, and the great aggregate return from it have created a 

 demand for definite information concerning the cultivation, trans- 

 portation, and marketing of these crops, and the control of insect 

 enemies and diseases. It is the purpose of this volume to present 

 in considerable detail the results of observations and investigations 

 which it has been the privilege of the author to make concerning 

 this great industry, which in money value represents double the 

 income of that derived from the fruit interests of the United 

 States, including the pomaceous fruits, the stone fruits, the small 

 fruits, and the subtropical fruits. In fact the potato crop alone 



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