380 VEGETABLE FORCING 



with a view to discouraging any one, but they should be 

 seriously considered before launching into the business 

 of vegetable forcing. They call for the exercise of sound 

 judgment and the application of dependable knowledge 

 relating to the various problems of greenhouse cropping. 

 But the chief motive in calling attention to them here is 

 to emphasize the fact that the most intensive cropping 

 plans must be employed in greenhouse management if 

 maximum profits are to be realized. Certain expenses 

 are constant, regardless of whether houses are handled 

 poorly or skillfully. The interest on the investment, cost 

 of maintaining the buildings, cost of fuel, water, manure, 

 fertilizer, tools, labor, etc., remain fairly constant. 



Now, the all important question to the grower is, how 

 can he make every foot of ground yield maximum profits? 

 All of the problems relating to the production of various 

 crops, which have been discussed in previous chapters, 

 should have the most careful consideration. But atten- 

 tion must also be given to the whole matter of cropping 

 plans. What crop or crops should be grown? Will one 

 vegetable, grown throughout the forcing season, pay the 

 largest earnings, or will it be more profitable to grow two 

 or more different classes of vegetables? Should the crops 

 follow one another in close succession, or will it pay best 

 to practice companion cropping? These are some of the 

 questions which will be discussed in this chapter. 



Selection of crops. A number of factors should be 

 taken into account in deciding upon the crops to be 

 grown. Among them may be mentioned the following 

 as being the most important : 



(1) Demand. There is always a great demand for let- 

 tuce, cucumbers and tomatoes, although prices are at 

 times low. Generally speaking, it is best to grow the 

 vegetables which are most largely consumed, though 

 there are many exceptions. It is possible, sometimes, to 

 work up a good trade for a special crop, as witloof 



