Truck growing as an industry is of com paratively recent origin. Little was heard or known of truck growing prior to the Civil War. Improvements in transportation, and especially the wider use of the refrigerator car, and the better organization of marketing and selling agencies have tended to greatly enlarge the scope of this work. Moreover, the people of the country, even in the remote villages, have been educated to the use of fresh vegetables in winter. Improved transportation facilities have made it practicable to deliver these fresh vege tables at nearly all, seasons of the year. Truck growing has for its primary object the pro duction of large quantities of certain standard vegetable crops, such as cabbage, kale, spinach, potatoes, sweet potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, eggplant and lettuce. The principal trucking regions are to be found near the seaboard in southern New Jersey, Delaware and Virginia, especially the vicinity of Norfolk, the eastern coast of North Carolina, South Carolina and the coastal plain sections through Georgia and Florida. A large trucking area is also to be found in the Gulf States, especially in southern Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas. Considerable development in truck growing has come about in the interior of some of the South ern States, notably Kentucky and Oklahoma. Trucking is also developing considerable im portance in the Western States, including parts of New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada and Cali fornia. No authentic figures as to the extent of truck growing are available since those pub lished in 1909. There have been rapid changes since that time. On the eastern shore of Mary land and Virginia the increase in potato grow ing has been very great, owing in part to the perfection of an efficient, organized plan of assembling, growing, handling and marketing the product. Reliable estimates would indicate that the increase is over 2,000 per cent since the last census was taken. The increase in the Norfolk, Va., section has also been large, aggregating 40 per cent or more for all truck crops. A striking example of the growth of a special truck industry is found in early Irish potato growing in Florida. From a small area of something like 1,200 acres planted in 1900, the land devoted to this crop had increased to 16,000 acres in 1915. Florida, with its light, sandy, warm soil, its relatively warm winter climate and its excellent transportation facili ties by land and water to the markets of the North is preeminently suited to truck farming. The total area devoted 'to the vegetable Indus try in Florida for the census year 1909 was 67,442 acres. In 1915 the estimated area was 99,162 acres, an increase of 47 per cent in six years. On account of the nearly universal de mand and the ease of transportation and han dling, lettuce constitutes one of the important trucking crops. Florida leads as a lettuce-pro ducing State, the land planted being in the neighborhood of 5,000 acres. An acre of let tuce will yield from 30,000 .to 40,000 salable heads, so that the annual output of lettuce from Florida alone is somewhere near 200,000,000 heads.
The production of green vegetables for can neries may be considered as a feature of truck growing. The field requirements for the pro duction of the different crops are similar and the methods followed are for the most part the same. Sweet corn, tomatoes and peas are the principal crops grown. The latest figures in dicate the land devoted to these crops for canning as being nearly 450,000 acres. Sweet corn leads with nearly 200,000 acres, tomatoes follow with something like 150,000 acres, and peas show approximately 100,000 acres. From
a dozen to 14 different kinds of vegetables are grown in considerable quantities for canning purposes. All of these are grown under the best trucking conditions and in accordance with up-to-date trucking methods.
The home vegetable garden as a feature of horticultural activity has come to be recognized as an important adjunct to our national system of food supply. This is especially true since the great increase in the demand for food as a result of the World War. The home vegetable garden has unquestionably played an important part in producing wholesome and valuable foods for the home. The great interest aroused in this work owing to abnormal con ditions is likely to continue even when matters assume their normal state. As countries grow older and more thickly populated, there de velops on the part of the people a love for working in the ground. It is found that these activities satisfy a natural craving for creative and productive work, making for contentment, health, happiness and the prolongation of life.
Floricultnre.—The growing of flowers or ornamental plants as a commercial industry has come to be an important one during the past two decades. The greater part of this work is done under glass and the business now reaches into millions of dollars annually. The great centres of flower production are near the large cities. There are now between 10,000 and 12,000 establishments in this country engaged in floriculture, with an annual output $35,000,000 to $40,000,000. The States leading in the production of flowers are New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, New Jersey and Massa chusetts in the order named. Census figures show 114,655,276 square feet in glass houses in the United States. There is also reported 9, 489,556 square feet in sashes and frames. In the earlier days of floriculture in this country the business was general — that is, a miscel laneous assortment of plants for bedding and home adornment were grown, together with plants for cut flowers. Gradually specialization developed, with the result that there are now rose specialists, carnation specialists, violet specialists and other specialists. Rose growing under glass from the standpoint of money in vested and annual returns is probably the most important floricultural industry. The growing of the carnation is a close second, with the violet third. Rose growing and carnation grow ing have developed to a marked degree near certain points. Climate and soil do not seem to have had very much influence in bringing about these centres of industry in the growing of roses and carnations, except that the most successful establishments are to be found in the more northern portions, of the country. The changeable climate of the Southern States is not suited for the forcing of these crops under glass. With the violet, however, climate seems to play a more important part in the success of the industry. Somewhat uniformly cold weather during the winter months, accompanied by a maximum of sunlight, gives the best con ditions for the production of the violet. The production of bedding plants and ornamentals for outside planting constitutes an important phase of the industry. The forcing of a long list of specialties for the Easter and holiday trade should also be noted. Lilies of various kinds, numerous hard wooded plants, tulips, hyacinths, narcissus, and other bulbous stock are now forced in large quantities. A great deal of the stock is grown abroad and is im ported by the florist for purposes of forcing.