LETTUCE IN POTS. 99 
ble, if such soil is used, to take it from an old fence 
row, using the sod only. It may be inferred from the 
above that lettuce may be successfully grown on almost 
any soil, and such is the fact, if conditions are thoroughly 
studied and the details carefully looked after. Neverthe- 
less, it is better to select a soil naturally adapted to the 
purpose if possible, but in any case such artificial means 
as composting and = sub-irrigation ought not to be 
neglected.’’ 
Growing in pots.—Good lettuce of the leafy or Grand 
Rapids type can be grown in pots. It is a common 
practice with gardeners to set pots of lettuce in vacant 
places in cool houses for the purpose of utilizing the 
room. Growing in pots is comparatively little used, 
although now and then a grower follows this method ex- 
tensively. A most beautiful crop of pot-grown lettuce is 
shown in Fig. 33 (page 98). The New York State Ex- 
periment Station has made some investigations in the pot- 
growing of lettuce, and has published the results in Bul- 
letin 88 (March, 1895), from which I quote: 
‘The seed is sown in flats, as usual; that is to say, in 
boxes about 12 by to inches and 3 inches deep. When 
the plants are about 2 inches high they are transplanted 
to 2-inch pots. The benches are filled with soil, in which 
the pots containing the lettuce are plunged so that the 
tops of the pots are covered with about half an inch 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 soil in 
the pots 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 1o inches 
apart each way. The roots soon fill the pot and grow 
8 FORC. 
