12 
BULLETIN 
U. 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— 
Sweet potatoes do 
Sweet corn dozens— 
Tomatoes boxes__ 
Lima beans quarts— 
String beans barrels— 
Cabbage do 
Carrots bunches-. 
Beets do 
40 
Peas 
barrels 
23 
45 
Kale 
do 
41 
381 
Spinach 
do 
70 
152 
Squash 
crates— 
190 
1,172 
Cantaloupe 
.—do 
112 
37 
Strawberries 
do 
69 
116 
Blackberries 
do 
46; 
10, 902 
Raspberries 
do 
37 
7,960 
Fig. 4. — Stable manure brought from the city is dumped 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 
