1280 The Vegetable Industry in New York State 



only adds plant food to the soil in a readily available form but 

 also improves its physical condition. 



Not many growers of greenhouse crops use commercial fer- 

 tilizers, most of them holding the opinion that by trenching 

 manure enough plant food is added to the soil to maintain fer- 

 tility. Probably commercial fertilizers would prove beneficial, 

 especially for certain crops. Some form of phosphorus would be 

 very beneficial to cucumbers and would hasten the maturity of 

 the fruit. Potash should be applied to tomatoes, since it is known 

 that the tomato plant demands large amounts of potash, and a 

 sandy soil usually is low in this element of plant food. 



LIME 



Greenhouse men lime their soils every year, applying at the 

 rate of five to eight pounds of air-slaked lime to every one hundred 

 square feet of area. Lime improves the physical condition of 

 soil and sweetens it. 



GENERAL CROPPING PLAN 



During the past few years, many of the Irondequoit growers 

 have attempted to raise cucumbers and tomatoes as well as lettuce, 

 radishes and parsley, in their greenhouses in fall. In many cases 

 these growers have failed with their fall crops of cucumbers and 

 tomatoes, chiefly because the houses were neglected in fail, most 

 of the growers devoting their time to celery harvesting instead of 

 remaining in the greenhouses. Cucumbers and tomatoes need 

 constant care and attention. Especially is this true in the fall 

 of the year. One grower near Elmira, N. Y., has been very 

 successful with fall tomatoes, and the secret of his success is con- 

 stant and unceasing care and attention to the plants. It is practi- 

 cally an impossibility to raise cucumbers successfully in the green- 

 houses of New York State in the fall of the year on account of 

 the dark, gloomy weather prevailing in at least most sections of 

 the state at this time. Under proper care and management, 

 tomatoes can be successfully grown in this state in fall, but they 

 will need a great deal more attention than in spring, and one 

 cannot expect nearly so large a crop, but prices are usually better 

 in fall than in spring. 



