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 
