1873] EARLY AND WINTER LETTUCE. 209 



front, under tlie lower sashes of the house, and the upper sliding sashes 

 were entirely wanting ; so that the Balsams enjoyed themselves per- 

 fectly : abundance of air, no draughts, comfortable at the roots, and the 

 full blaze of the sun. They were grand plants, were neither tied nor 

 pinched, but stiff and short jointed, the centre stems as thick as a man's 

 wrist. 



When the pots are filled with roots after the last shift, and while the 

 plants are still plunged, they may have a little manure-water every 

 time. It is needless to say that the Balsam is a gross feeder, and capa- 

 ble of appropriating large quantities of stimulants under a hot sun ; 

 but when removed to the show-house, manure-water must be adminis- 

 tered with more caution, and none at all when the weather is dull and 

 wet. A little top-dressing is better, as they will root up to the warm 

 surface. The Squire's Gardenee. 



EARLY AI^D WHITER LETTUCE. 

 A HEAVY and well-hearted Lettuce is a good thing, but it is not abso- 

 lutely necessary that it should be big and heavy to be acceptable as a 

 salad. Besides, Lettuces when forced are rather stubbornly inclined to 

 be open-hearted — a fact which market-gardeners know; and so they tie 

 them up the day before sending them to the market, in order to suit 

 their customers, or rather to deceive them. Still, a Lettuce grown 

 fast, and in a rich soil, makes just as good and tender a salad as any 

 when pulled young, and every leaf is clean and usable. To plant 

 Lettuces 8 or 9 inches apart in frames for a winter and early spring 

 supply, takes up a great deal of space for all the return they give — a 

 fact which every one knows who has to supply a quantity during the 

 winter months. We found this out long ago, for our Lettuce-frame 

 was never at liberty till October ; and though planted full at ordinary 

 distances apart, it would not carry on the supply long enough ; so we 

 had recourse to thick-planting — that is, we planted autumn-sown 

 plants 4 inches apart between the rows, and the same distance between 

 the plants. The lights are then put on, the plants are well centred 

 and heated to a genial temperature, watering when needful, but other- 

 wise keeping the frame dry. They soon begin to grow quickly till 

 they meet each other, and with the crush the leaves are thrown up, 

 till each plant is like a cup and begins to heart. Long before they 

 get this length, however, we begin to pull — first taking every alternate 

 row, and afterwards every alternate plant in the rows left. The last 

 plants, of course, get big and hearted before they are needed, but I 

 cannot say they are appreciated more, if as much, as the first tender 

 little plants, which are sent in in quantity. In this way, we have 



