Getting Greatest Production 
from Your Land 
Most vegetable crops require a large amount of hand labor, and therefore it usually 
pays to make conditions, so far as practical, such that high production may be secured. 
It is generally agreed that a well-planned and well-worked and properly attended garden 
is the most productive land on the farm. Good authorities estimate that the produce 
obtained from the average farm garden, one-half acre in size, is worth $250 per year at 
present retail prices of vegetables and often is worth more than $500. Frequently, similar 
high returns are obtained in commercial production. 
In view of the high return that can be and usually is obtained from vegetable crops, 
and their great nutritional and health-building value, it is advisable to prepare the land 
well, fertilize and manure heavily, use the best seed, make every reasonable effort to 
cultivate the crops well, control insect pests and diseases, harvest on time and preserve 
properly through recommended methods of canning, freezing and storing. 
The plant-food requirements of different vegetable crops vary and it is, therefore, not 
practical to give a general recommendation that will apply to all crops. But it can be 
said that it pays to have the land rich and it is generally advisable to apply manure, if 
available, at the rate of 10 tons to the acre and to use from 1,000 to 2,000 pounds per acre 
of a complete fertilizer such as 5-10-5, 5-10-10, or 6-8-6, making the applications 
each year. 
The value-in-use of the seed should be the first consideration, not price per pound. 
The cost of enough seed to plant a garden one-half acre in size is only from $15 to $20. 
Approximately the same relationship exists in commercial production of vegetables. 
Diseases and insect pests are often very troublesome and frequently take a heavy toll, 
especially if a sound control program is not followed. Recommendations are given on 
page 11 of this handbook. 
To get the greatest production from your land, it is necessary that the garden be con- 
tinuous or year-round. There must be a succession of plantings to have a crop (1) in the 
early spring, (2) in the late spring and summer, and(3) in the fall and winter. (See chart 
on page 9.) If there is to be “continuous” or ‘‘year-round”’ harvest, there must be, of 
course, in addition to repeated plantings, repeated cultivations and continuous attention. 
Many good gardeners say: “To get the greatest production you must do something in 
your garden practically every day.” 
10 SOUTHERN STATES COOPERATIVE 
