A GENERAL VIEW 
3 
cations. It is an intensive type of gardening of greater 
importance than is generally appreciated. 
6. Ideals. — In the production of vegetables for the 
home table the gardener should aim to secure (i) a 
variety of products, (2) the highest quality and (3) a 
supply as uniform and constant as possible at different 
seasons of the year. 
In commercial gardening the following points must be 
considered: (1) Quality. Markets are becoming more 
discriminating every year. Consumers are urgent in 
their demands for quality, and it is important for growers 
to realize that prices and profits are largely dependent 
upon quality. This is especially true when vegetables 
are placed upon large city markets in competition with 
shipments from all parts of the country. The best qual- 
ity is secured by the selection of proper varieties and the 
furnishing of ideal cultural conditions. Quick maturity 
is usually favorable to the best quality. This is espe- 
cially true of the most succulent vegetables, as radish, 
turnip, beet, onion, lettuce, cabbage, celery and spinach. 
Vegetables of the finest edible quality are generally 
grown in moist, fertile soils, physically adapted to each 
class. (2) Yields. Large yields are essential to maxi- 
mum profits. Some varieties of high quality are not good 
yielders. The grower is fortunate if quality and quantity 
can be secured in the same variety. There are many ex- 
amples of quality being sacrificed for quantity by the 
selection of varieties of high yielding power. In produc- 
ing vegetables for local markets that are not very dis- 
criminating this course may be justifiable, although it 
doubtless limits consumption. Whatever the variety, the 
commercial grower should endeavor to secure maximum 
yields at minimum outlay. The net returns from a given 
area of land should determine the extent to which 
methods can be intensified. If cheap land is available it 
may be more profitable and less difficult to follow ex- 
