12 



BULLETIN 



TJ. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



The 11 -peck barrel is standard throughout. The tomato box, 

 squash crate, and cantaloupe crate hold 4 pecks each. The berry 

 crates hold 32 quarts. 



Average yields per acre of truck crops. 



Irish potatoes barrels 40 



Sweet potatoes do 45 



Sweet corn dozens— 381 



Tomatoes boxes 152 



Lima beans quarts__ 1,172 



String beans barrels 37 



Cabbage do 116 



Carrots bunches— 10, 902 



Beets do 7, 960 



Peas barrels. 



Kale do 



Spinach do 



Squash crates. 



Cantaloupe do 



Strawberries do___ 



Blackberries do 



Raspberries do__. 



23 



41 

 70 

 190 

 112 

 69 

 46, 

 37 



.. . 





Fig. 4. — Stable manure brought from the city is clumped on compost heap. 



MAINTAINING SOIL FERTILITY. 



On small truck farms it is not possible to keep up the fertility of 

 the soil by keeping live stock, as on general and dairy farms. The 

 common method of keeping up the yields of crops on these farms is 

 by the use of purchased barnyard manures and commercial fertilizer. 

 About three-fifths of the expenditure for manure and fertilizer is for 

 fertilizer, and two-fifths for manure. Much manure, however, is 

 used for which no money is paid. Many farmers haul it from stables 

 in Washington, where they get it for taking it away. Often after 

 taking a load of produce to the Washington market the farmer will 

 bring back a load of manure for his compost heap. Some farmers 

 contract for all the manure produced at a stable, in which case it is 

 necessary to make one or more trips every week for manure alone. 

 The manure is usually put on a large pile, from which it is drawn 

 in to the field as needed (fig. 4). The actual value of manure used 



