326 Report of the Horticulturist of the 



FORCING LETTUCE IN POTS. 



The following description of a method of forcing lettuce in pots 

 that has been followed at this Station may be of interest to those 

 who grow lettuce under glass, either in an amateur way or as a com- 

 mercial product. 



The seed is sown in flats as usual, that is to say in boxes about 

 twelve by ten inches and three inches deep, or on the bench. When 

 the plants are about two inches high they are transplanted to two 

 inch pots. The benches are tilled with soil, in which the pots con- 

 taining the lettuce are plunged so that the tops of the pots are cov- 

 ered with about half an inch of soil. 



Preparation of Soil. 



Soil for lettuce should not be too heavy, and as the soil which we 

 use for potting is a rather heavy clay loam, sand is mixed with it in 

 preparing it for the lettuce house. The potting soil is composed of 

 three parts by measure of loam, one of manure and one of sand. 



The benches are six inches deep ; the lower three inches being 

 filled with well rotted manure and the upper three inches with 

 potted soil prepared as described above. 



The soil in the jDots is the same as that used on the bench except 

 that it is sifted while that on the bench is not. A little drainage 

 material is put in the bottom of each pot. The plants are usually 

 set on the benches about ten inches apart each way. The roots soon 

 fill the pot and grow out into the soil of the bench through the 

 drainage hole in the bottom of the pot. Being thus buried in 

 the soil the little pots do not dry out as rapidly as they would do 

 were they exposed to the air. 



Marketing. 



The plants may be marketed without disturbing their roots and 

 for this reason they keep fresh for a longer time than do the plants 

 whose roots are disturbed in preparing them for market. See 

 Plate X. When the plant is ready for market it may be knocked 

 out of the pot and the ball of earth containing the roots uudis- 

 turbed may be wrapped snugly in oiled paper. The earth will thus 

 keep moist for a long time and furnish moisture to the plant 

 through the roots which are imbedded in it. Local customers may 

 be supplied with lettuce in the pots and the pots returned after the 

 plants are taken from them. 



