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VEGETABLE GARDENING 
tensive rather than intensive methods. (3) Earliness. 
The early production of crops is an important factor, first, 
because it generally enables the grower to sell at higher 
prices, and with reduced effort; second, it gives the 
gardener a lead on the market, always a great advantage 
in seasons of abundant crops; third, it makes possible 
the clearing of the land in time for succeeding cash crops 
or soil-improving crops. (4) Kind of market. It is im- 
portant to have definite ideas concerning the disposition 
of a crop before it is started. Will it be sold on a gen- 
eral, open market in competition with the same vegetable 
from other sections, or will a special market be supplied? 
Market possibilities should always be studied before de- 
ciding upon crops and cropping plans. 
7. Profits. — The profits in vegetable gardening are 
quite variable. In some instances they are so large that 
people are loath to believe the accounts, while in others 
the net returns are trifling. Considerable glass is used 
on places making the highest financial showing. At 
Cleveland, O., for example, a grower has been netting 
$10,000 a year on 12 acres, but the reader should know 
that about 2^/4 acres of this ground is covered with green- 
houses in which are grown lettuce, tomatoes and cucum- 
bers. The early vegetable plants are also started in 
these houses. The owner of this little farm is a master 
in everything that counts for success. Most growers, 
however, must be satisfied with much smaller returns. 
Peter Henderson regarded $200 an acre a fairly satis- 
factory profit in market gardening, while he frequently 
procured much larger returns. There are records of sin- 
gle acres yielding from $1,000 to $2,000, at least one-half 
of which sums should be net profits. It is hoped that 
these statements will not be misleading, for the best 
growers sometimes have very little profit from a season’s 
work. In truck farming the profits range from a few 
dollars to several hundred dollars an acre. A great deal 
