1236 The Vegetable Industry in New York State 



vegetables are pushed aside. Many of the grocerymen advertise 

 home-grown vegetables as a specialty. 



The seed from which these men raise their crops is largely pur- 

 chased from the various agents who scour the country. The 

 farmers have learned that the seed companies specialize in their 

 products and they therefore buy these specialties rather than give 

 all their orders to one company. On the other hand, a few 

 farmers raise their own seed. Much of the onion seed is home 

 grown. In fact, " Ebenezer onion " is famous over the state 

 and commands a high price as seed or sets. One or two farmers 

 have been raising their own cabbage seed but they never sell any. 

 One strain of cabbage seed is about twenty years old and ap- 

 parently as good as ever. 



INCOME AND EXPENSE 



The income from these farms varies with the seasons and the 

 conditions of the markets. The farmers usually figure on three 

 crops — one to pay interest, insurance and taxes; one to pay the 

 help, and the third for profit. If any one crop fails or is a 

 partial failure it immediately spoils that farmer's chances of mak- 

 a profit. No figures on net profit are available but gross receipts 

 for a farm of ten acres ranges from $5,000 to $20,000 a year. Of 

 course a very large percentage of this is spent for help, since vege- 

 table gardening always requires much care in tilling, weeding, 

 manuring and getting it ready for the market. Very few of 

 these farmers keep cows, pigs or hens so that the products from 

 these animals must be purchased. 



MORE DISTANT SECTIONS 



The second area of upland truck raising farms lies about fif- 

 teen or twenty miles outside of Buffalo. It is difficult to draw 

 crops to Buffalo from these sections so most of the goods are 

 shipped. In the first area every farmer is a gardener with a green- 

 house or two on the side, while in the second section many are 

 general farmers raising some vegetables as a side line. There are 

 few real truck raisers who raise vegetables exclusively. Lar •< 

 areas of cabbage, cauliflower and tomatoes are shipped to various 

 points. In this section they have no hold on the Buffalo market 



