1232 The Vegetable Industry in Xew York State 



Nearly every farmer has learned the value of lime, and bv 

 cooperating they buy in carload lots. They use quicklime entirely 

 and either air or water slake it themselves. Again they cooperated 

 and bought a community lime drill which spreads the fine powder 

 without any danger to man or beast, and, besides distributing it 

 evenly, the desired quantity can be applied by regulating the flow. 



The truck farmers of Western New York are giving no little 

 attention to the care of the manure. Drawing, as they do, such 

 large quantities in the winter months when they cannot operate 

 their spreaders, it is necessary to make great pile^ about three feet 

 deep and often a hundred feet long. To this they add rock phos- 

 phate or acid phosphate at the rate of fifty pounds to the ton. 

 This pile is turned twice and sometimes three times before it is 

 spread on the fields. Some of this manure is used for top dressing 

 to conserve moisture, much is used in hot bed construction and the 

 remainder is plowed under. 



In addition to this, nitrate of soda, sulphate of ammonia and 

 sheep manure are purchased. These are used for forcing such 

 crops as lettuce, spinach, etc., or to promote rapid growth to 

 overcome blights or rusts. 



GROWING SEEDLINGS 



Each farmer reserves more or less space for cold frames and 

 hotbeds. These are used chiefly for growing seedlings for trans- 

 planting, but a few farmers raise hotbed lettuce for the market. 



Many farmers find profit in raising seedlings of both vegetables 

 and flowers. These are sold to the Buffalo people who used them 

 in their back yards. Cabbage and tomato seedlings are especially 

 popular. 



MARKETING 



The farmers take a load of crated vegetables to market and 

 bring back a load of " empties." They sell by wholesale only to 

 commission merchants, wholesalers or hucksters, and by telephone 

 can keep in touch with the buyers at all times. Usually the 

 whole load is ordered goods so that all that is necessary is to 

 deliver it and take orders for the next day. The growers take 

 great pride in grading their goods and selling Al vegetables in 

 boxes marked as such. 



