388 Agricultural Experiment Station, Ithaca, N. Y. 



is quite as good as the direct burning rays of the sun. It should be 

 said, however, that good lettuce may often be grown in heavy rather 

 dark houses, but more care is required, the results are less certain, 

 and there is special difficulty in growing the heading varieties to 

 perfection. 



Our own experience has fully demonstrated the supenority of 

 solid earth beds over benches, for lettuce. We have had good crops 



68.— A ground bed, \<ith Grand Rapids lettuce. 



in benches, but they have required special attention to heating and 

 watering, and even then the results are generally precarious. If, 

 however, the benches have no bottom heat — that is, if there are 

 no heating pipes close under them and if the sides are open — very 

 good results, particularly with the non-heading sorts, may be had 

 from year to year. Fig. 6^ shows an earth bed, about nine inches 

 deep, in which we have had excellent success with lettuce. 



