04 
Modern Business Geography 
the great northeastern market. Throughout the tropics sweet pota- 
toes and yams, their near relatives, are so easily raised that they are 
one of the chief food products, and are far more important than in 
the United States. 
Other vegetables. The farmers of the United States are learn- 
ing that the nearness to markets or conditions of soil and climate 
may make it advisable to specialize in particular kinds of vegeta- 
bles. The state of New York, for instance, leads the country in 
raising cabbages, onions, sweet corn, celery, and green peas, partly 
because it caters directly to the needs of New York and many other 
large cities. California and Maryland lead in tomatoes because they 
have climates that are almost ideal for that crop. Texas and Florida 
are first in the production of watermelons because of their sandy soil 
and mild climate. California’s lead in the cantaloupe and asparagus 
market seems to result from her warm climate and sunny skies. 
Vegetable growing outside the United States and western Europe. 
Outside of the highly civilized parts of the temperate zone vegetables 
are numerous, but are not to be compared in flavor with our own. 
In tropical countries, for instance, the native vegetables are tough 
and coarse, like the rest of the vegetation. They are like our beets 
and turnips when these grow too rank. The difficulty is that good 
native varieties have not been developed by continual selection of the 
best types, while the good varieties developed in cooler countries 
Unaeearhucelte Agricultural Collene 
Fre. 49. The cultivation of plants under glass represents the most intensive form of agricul- 
ture. It is profitable only where it supbvlies the demands of a large citv that will nav high prices 
far earlv veretables and cut flowers.