> 
pricked out under hand glasses, or on a spent hotbed, 
254 
— 
THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 
Lettuce—continued. 
round, in places where they are procurable. The spring 
and early summer supply is, perhaps, generally the most 
important. The most successful method adopted with 
plants for this crop is to sow in frames about the middle 
of September, and again in October. The frames should 
be prepared some time in advance, by having a bed of 
fermenting material, from 1ft. to 2ft. thick, placed beneath 
them, and the inside filled up to within 1ft. of the glass. 
About Gin. of light soil should be laid over the surface, 
after the manure has been evenly trodden down. Fer- 
menting material admits of free passage for water, and, 
consequently, keeps the plants well drained; its heating 
properties are not required. Seeds may be sown broad- 
' cast, and the sashes kept on until germination takes place, 
when air should be freely admitted in fine weather. 
When the plants are large enough to handle, the weakest 
should be thinned, so as to leave the others about 2in. 
apart. But little water will be required during the 
winter, the object being to induce a hardy and sturdy 
growth, and prevent damping. This latter is chiefly to 
be guarded against in winter time, as it frequently causes 
much injury. Frost should merely be excluded by cover- 
ings of dry litter, or similar material, and this should be 
removed by day on all favourable occasions. Growth may 
be encouraged as the days lengthen, and the plants be 
gradually inured, and placed outside in February, where 
they are intended to grow. The state of the weather, 
and the severity of the season, must be taken into con- 
sideration, as these may vary each year, and cause special 
arrangements to be made. : 
Lettuces like a rich, rather light, soil, which should 
be manured deeply down, where the roots are situated. 
A distance of about 1ft. apart each way allows sufficient 
space for the: plants to develop. If dibbers are used, 
the holes should be well filled in, either at the time of 
planting, or afterwards with a hoe. Growers of early 
Lettuces on a large scale are particular in filling dibber- 
holes from the south or sunny side, as, although appa- 
rently a trifling matter, the plants are found to succeed 
much better than when the reverse plan is adopted. Fre- 
quent hoeings in fine weather greatly encourage growth, 
and also prove beneficial in keeping down weeds and de- 
stroying slugs, which always prove very destructive to 
young Lettuces. 
In mild and favourable localities, the foregoing method 
of winter cultivation and protection is not generally 
followed; hardy varieties being selected and grown 
on south borders outside. When intended for outside 
culture, they should be sown a month or more earlier 
than when frames are to be used for winter protection, 
in order that the plants may be large, and better able 
to withstand frost and wet. A sheltered border, sloping 
to the south, should be selected, and none but hardy 
varieties grown, such as the Hammersmith Hardy Green 
Cabbage, and Brown or Bath Cos. In many gardens, 
these varieties are sown about the middle of August, 
and the plants transferred, during the autumn, to any 
warm or sheltered positions ; the foot of a south wall 
being usually one amongst others selected. Cabbage 
varieties may be placed from 6in. to 9in. apart, and a 
reserve stock should be kept in the seed-bed for filling 
up any blanks that occur. If some of the plants from 
this sowing are placed Gin. apart, on an old hotbed, 
under glass, and kept protected during winter, they will 
prove useful in spring, before those grown outside are 
Seed sowing of Lettuces in spring should be commenced 
in a warm frame about the end of January, or early in 
February, and be repeated ut the end of the latter month 
Small plants thus raised must be 
until they are sufficiently strong for placing in the open 
ground. From the middle of March until August it is 
Lettuce continued. 
advisable to make successional sowings, according to 
requirements, in open borders, at intervals of two or 
three weeks; then, if one lot should run to seed quickly, 
because of hot weather, another will soon be coming on. 
Timely thinning in the seed-bed is very important, as 
the plants, if once allowed to draw, never do so well 
afterwards. Few positions are unsuited for Lettuces in 
summer, provided they are attended to, by careful 
planting and watering at first, and there is sufficient 
light to prevent the leaves drawing up instead of form- 
ing close hearts. In small plantations, it is preferable 
to transplant with a trowel in summer time, to pre- 
vent a severe check being caused by injury to the 
roots. Advantage should always be taken of cloudy 
weather, if possible, for the operation. Any of the 
autumn crops may be lifted before the appearance of 
frost, and re-planted, rather closely, in any spare frame 
or house, free from drip, and where frost is merely 
excluded. By adopting this method of preservation, the 
season of supply may be considerably prolonged. 
Seed-saving. Where it is desirable to save seed, the 
finest specimens should be selected for the purpose, such 
as form good hearts, and do not ‘previously show a dis- 
position to seed early. Different varieties must be kept 
isolated, or separated in some way, when in flower, to 
keep the product true to the original character. The 
parts which flower, and, consequently, ripen the seeds 
first, produce the best; and they should be secured in 
preference to waiting for the ripening of the whole lot. 
If the branchlets are collected, and laid on a cloth in the 
sun, when the seeds are in a forward state, the latter soon 
ripen, and may be rubbed out. Seeds may keep good 
for three or four years, but they are always considered 
best the second year, and should be before bein 
depended on afterwards. „„ 
Sorts. The names of these are extremely numerous; 
but large numbers of supposed sorts, when grown under 
similar conditions, have been found synonymous, or in- 
sufficiently distinct to merit their separate names. The 
following is a list of good varieties in each class; those 
marked with an asterisk are specially recommended. 
Cabbage Lettuces. *ALL THE YEAR ROUND, very hardy, com- 
et, and of good quality. BROWN DUTCH, much like the White 
tch, except that the leaves are more brown where exposed ; 
it forms AN head, which blanches white, and is of ex- 
cellent quality. *EARLY PARIS MARKET, a valuable early sort, 
much grown in France. *HAMMERSMITH HARDY GREEN, leaves 
thick, dark green, wrinkled ; one of the hardiest and most exten- 
sively grown sorts of this class. LARGE WHITE, heads large, 
somewhat flattened, withstands hot weather well ; a good sort 
for summer use. MALTA, heads flat, compact, blanches well; 
leaves pale green, somewhat soft. *NEAPOLITAN, heads large, 
firm, and crisp, habit dwarf; a good variety, of excellent quality, 
considered the best for summer. STANSTEAD PARK, compact, 
good for autumn sowing, with light protection in winter; very 
similar to White Duto Werke Bar saath et Pikes N ne 
h 
hearts, which are white and crisp. TOM THUMB, very compact 
and of excellent quality; good for all seasons. “ware DUTCH, 
a hardy sort, which hearts readily ; larger than Hammersmith 
Hardy Green. 
Cos Lettuces, ALEXANDRA WHITE, of immense . crisp, — ` 
of excelle: 
flavoured. *BROCKET HALL BROWN, hardy, and 
flavour; stands a long time before running to seed. 
BATH BLACK-SEEDED, e, hearts well when tied up; a very 
hardy variety, the best of all for standing the winter. EARLY 
Pacis Gosea “Bloom eee, 
OOR PARK, large and crisp, , and not li: 
— ene FF aoe PARK, 5 ; rod 4 
T REEN, resembles Paris White, except that it is 
hardier ; the leaves are dark green before bi . aa 
*BROWN OR 
tying ; best summer Cos variety in 
cultivation. SUGARLOAF, good hardy variety for autumn 8 
Injurious Insects. In common with most salad herbs = : 
and potherbs, Lettuce suffers from the ravages of man 
kinds of larvæ; and it is also the chosen food of a few 
insects. The roots are eaten by the larvæ of Click 
Beetles (Wireworms) and of Cockchafers (May Bags). 
8 
W 
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