Growing Vegetables on Muck Lands 1251 



few weeks. A double row of lettuce is sometimes sown on celery 

 ground alter the boards have been placed for blanching, but the 

 removal of the celery renders this more or less unsatisfactory. 



MARKETING 



Muck lands seldom lie within hauling distance of the market, 

 and the different problems of transportation and of sale through 

 dealers and commission men must be met. The muck land grower 

 seldom sees his merchant face to face, and the long time in transit 

 usually prevents his taking full advantage of the ups and downs of 

 a particular market. In fact, it often happens that on advice of a 

 high market, growers ship just in time for their product to con- 

 tribute to an over-supply incident to the wide distribution of the 

 information which they have received. It is needless at this point 

 to dwell upon the problems of selling on distant markets. Suffice 

 to say that men who are producing in fairly large quantities mid 

 who are using good business judgment in working out their mar- 

 ket problems are able to secure fairly satisfactory results. Never- 

 theless there is something radically wrong when celery that can 

 be profitably grown at one and one-half cents per head costs the 

 consumer eight or ten cents, and when lettuce from western ISTew 

 York makes it way to Boston and back to Syracuse before it even 

 falls into the hands of a retailer. 



Some growers have found it profitable to build up a clientele of 

 small jobbers and larger groceries to whom they ship directly. 

 They have given special attention to the growing of a high-class 

 product and to its preparation for market. This plan involves 

 much attention to detail and is for this reason not favored by 

 some. 



Muck land production offers exceedingly favorable opportunity 

 for cooperative marketing. No notable success in this direction 

 has been recorded on any of the muck land areas of New York, 

 although the upland growers of Chautauqua and Erie counties are 

 finding the South Shore Growers' & Shippers' Association exceed- 

 ingly helpful. 



