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VEGETABLE GARDENING 



Cultivation. Lettuce is largely grown in greenhouses 

 during the winter, in hotbeds and cold frames in the early 

 spring, and outdoors in the late spring and until severe 

 weather in autumn. It is a very important crop for the 

 market gardener, as there is some demand for it at all sea- 

 sons of the year and a large call for it in the spring. Some 

 growers making a specialty of this crop have it in market- 

 able condition every month of the year. In some sections, 

 the plants may be started in September and when of good 



Kg. 130. Black-seeded Simpson lettuce. (A typical curly sort.) 



size transplanted to a cold frame, where they may be safely 

 wintered over. In the spring they are planted in hotbeds 

 and in the open ground. In the extreme Northern states, 

 however, although plants frequently come through the 

 winter safely when thus protected, it is not a method to be 

 depended upon. It is customary here to raise the plants 

 for spring planting in greenhouses or early hotbeds. 



Lettuce may be transplanted to the open ground as soon 

 as the soil will work easily in the spring, but it should be 



