218 



VEGETABLE FORCING 



7 by 9, is a great advantage in facilitating tillage, either 

 with a light wheel hoe, narrow rakes or special tools. 

 Rot and other diseases are more likely to cause serious 

 losses when the plants are set close together, because of 

 poorer circulation of air. 



Somewhat more time is required to harvest, trim, wash 

 and pack closely set plants from a given area than if they 

 were planted at greater distances. A special market, 

 however, for small plants may more than justify close 

 setting. 



Fig. 73. Transplanting board used for setting lettuce. Note large pegs. 



Planting. When a block of lettuce has been cut and 

 marketed, the ground should be prepared and replanted at 

 once. A delay of only one day, if the plants are ready, 

 means some loss. Furthermore, the young plants should 

 be transferred to the new beds before they have been 

 checked or stunted in growth. Continuous growth from 

 germination to harvest is essential to maximum yields of 

 the highest quality. 



Some kind of a marker should be used for spacing the 

 plants accurately. Fig. 73 shows an inverted marker 

 used in a very large establishment. It will be noted that 

 there are three rows of pegs, and the pegs are about 2 

 inches in diameter. The workmen kneel on the boards 

 while they are transplanting, and when the board marker 

 is moved the holes are made ready for three more rows of 



