PROFITS OF MARKET GARDENING. 17 



more ; but these were years of " war prices," such as ire 

 will be well content never to see again. These profits are 

 for the products of the open gardens only, not of the 

 frames or forcing pits, which are alluded to elsewhere. 

 These amounts are for the neighborhood of New York, 

 which I think, from the vast competition in business, is 

 likely to be a low average for the majority of towns and 

 cities throughout the country. Certain it is, that from 

 our lands, even at a value of from $1000 to $5000 per acre, 

 we can and do profitably grow and supply the majority 

 of towns within fifty miles around New York with fresh 

 vegetables. In these cases, no doubt, the consumer pays 

 full double the price that the raiser receives, for they 

 generally pass through the hands of two classes of " mid- 

 dle-men," before they reach the consumer ; besides which 

 there are extra charges for packing, shipping, and freight. 

 Thus the consumer, in a country town, where land often 

 is not as much in value per acre as it is here per lot, 

 pays twice the value for his partially stale vegetables or 

 fruits, which he receives rtorely sooner than twenty-four 

 hours after they are gathered. 



In most of such towns, market gardening, carried on 

 after our manner, would, unquestionably, be highly remu- 

 nerative ; for if these articles were offered to the consumer 

 fresh from the gardens, he would certainly be willing to 

 pay more for his home-grown products, than from the brui<s- 

 ed and battered ones that are freighted from the metropo- 

 lis. Take for example the article of Celery, which pays us 

 very well at 2 cents per root. There is hardly a city or 

 town in the country, except New York, but where it sells 

 for twice, and in some cases six times, that price per root ; 



