MARKET GARDENING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20819, 11 March 1931, Page 14

MARKET GARDENING.

Sir, —The idea of using our unemployed to develop lands for market gardening would be very good if we were not already producing as many vegetables as we can consume. This idea would simply slump the vegetable markets. Further, a market gardener cannot be made out of ft city dweller; he must bo born. The harbour bridge would absorb half of our unemployed for a few years, and money would be brought from other sources and spent here. Also, let us start and road the north, not scratch up clay roads and put a bit of metal here and there, but lay down a first-class concrete road, connect up at Henderson and finish at Kaitaia. Call for subscriptions and loans; plenty of money would be forthcoming. A Thinker.

Sir, —In tlio Herald of March 9, a scheme to put unemployed on the land as market gardeners is mooted. Let me give the result of a trial by myself and mate. We leased four acres with house. Rent, 30s per week, from last September. Put three acres in crop. Cost, ploughing, harrowing, tools, manure and seeds, £7O. Wo worked 14 hours per day, our wives helping. Have grown firstgrade vegetables, following is results— Tomatoes, first-grade, Is to 2s per box, average weight, 191b a box, average, Is 7d. Cost, box, fid; cartage, 3d; receiving at market, 2d; commission, 2d; total, Is Id; profit, 6d a box. Second-grade ran us into debt. Lettuce, Is 4d box of three dozen; cost box, 6d; cartage, 6d; receiving. 2d; commission, Id; total, Is 3d; profit, Id a box. These lettuce average weight. Beans, Is 6d sugar-bag, average weight, 301b.; cost, bag, 3d; cartage, 3d; receiving 2d; commission, ljd; total, profit, B£d per bag. Vegetable marrows, Is 6d. Cost, bag, 6d; cartage, 6d; receiving, 2d; commission, lid; Is 3id; profit, 2Ad. Cucumbers, 2s bag of 12 dozen. Cost bag, 3d; cart, 3d ; receiving, 2d ; commission, 2d ; total, lOd ; profit, Is 2d. Carrots, beet, etc., 4d to 8d a dozen- profit, Is 6d per bag. Other vegetables on like scale. The result, after five months' hard work, is: —Costs: Manures, seeds, tools, ploughing, £7O 6s; 22 weeks' rent, at 30s, £33; 44 weeks' work, two men, say, 14s per day, £lB4 16s; total, £2BB 2s. Returns: To sales, vegetables, £25 13s 7d, less boxes, cartage, bags, £l3 15s Id; commission, £3 3s 10d; receiving at mart, £1 8s 2d, altogether, £]B 7s Id, leaving £7 6s'6d as the net return to date, and crop in ground to credit. Mr. J. D. Bodle. or the unemployed administration, can get name and address from your oflice and verify these figures. 1 hope they look well into facts before putting men on land to fac<> certain failure. Marked Gardeners